AIMEE McCAGUE attempts to see past the author we all know to the meaning of ‘The Library of Babel’: ‘Borges’ story tells of an infinite library, a universe in itself in which the inhabitants desperately search for meaning in the form of the mythical ‘Vindications’ that allegedly tell their future…’
In this essay, shortlisted for the 2016 Feature Writing Competition, JONATHAN PINNOCK and his ‘mentor’ discuss the short stories of Jorge Luis Borges: ‘In all my years of reading critiques of Borges’s work, I have yet to come across a single piece of straight prose. Without exception, every single writer has, for better or worse, succumbed to the siren call of pastiche…’
GEOFFREY HEPTONSTALL profiles the writing life of Jorge Luis Borges: ‘A Borges world is one of paradox and irony. In a few paragraphs, he is able to suggest possibilities that open doors into the infinite…’
‘A story about opposites: the hellish North versus the open skied South, reality versus the world of dreams, life versus death…’ LOUISE HEGARTY explores the conflicts and mysteries in Jorge Luis Borges’ short story ‘The South’.
‘When it comes to reading short stories, I’d prefer not to. As a premise for a piece submitted to a site promoting the short story, this is not a hugely promising start. But bear with me…’ CHARLES DAVIS discusses the short story form.
‘You could say Julio Cortázar was destined to write from the moment he was christened with the name Julio, after the French writer Jules Verne.’ HUGH FULHAM-McQUILLAN takes us through the life and works of Julio Cortázar.
‘His stories are populated by a wild cast of brigands, adventurers and detectives…’ EMILY CLEAVER recommends Jorge Luis Borges’ short story ‘Death and the Compass’.
In his essay on Jorge Luis Borges’ short story collection The Maker, DANIEL SPINKS discusses ‘the intricate manner in which Borges takes an idea from history, religion, literature or philosophy and plays with it…’
