HANNAH BROCKBANK recommends the anthology that explores the experiences of refugees and those who work with them, REFUGEE TALES: ‘In tale after tale, physical environments are unforgiving and divisive. Conflicts are both physical and moral, and there is little resolution for the people described. The tales are challenging and resonate long after reading, not only because of their traumatic content, but also in the way they confront our attitudes and responsibilities to our fellow humans…’
SHORT STORY FESTIVAL: This year, the Small Wonder Festival gets underway on Wednesday 28th September – grown from a long-weekend to a five-day celebration of the exquisite short story form…
‘Consider the word ‘quirky’. Consider the number of times the word is applied to the works of Ali Smith … But maybe it’s not that these stories are ‘quirky’, it’s that so many others are too sedate…’ TRACY MAYLATH looks beyond the quirkiness of Ali Smith’s stories.
In her essay, ALEX RUCZAJ looks at time travel in short fiction and how three contemporary authors shift from the present moment into the past…
EMMA YOUNG looks at the life and writing of Ali Smith: ‘It is Smith’s focus and attention to voice that marks her out as a unique writer…’
Podcast: Recorded at the 2011 Small Wonder Festival, ALI SMITH reads two short stories by Muriel Spark, and shares her passionate engagement with Spark’s work.
