The Maker by Jorge Luis Borges
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…’
Colm Tóibín’s ‘A Song’
ANUSHREE NANDE looks at ‘The Song’ by Colm Tóibín: ‘A narrative told in limited third person that unfolds not unlike a song. Introductory chords, initial stanzas that slowly build up to the chorus and the repeat of this structure, all of which is building up to the final crescendo…’
Story: Kate Clanchy’s ‘The Real Story’
STORY: Read ‘The Real Story’ by Kate Clanchy. ‘To be honest, Giles, I’d like a little more credit and a little less blame. I’d like you, and the directors, and actually, the whole firm of Burns Pope Wilde, Literary Agents, to remember how and where this whole story started…’
Naming Names…
‘A Fitlow is not a Whitlow, no more than a Dunky is a Harvey…’ MIKE SMITH explores the importance and meanings of character names by looking at those used in the short stories of A.E Coppard.
Short Story Masterclass… with Joseph O’Connor
MASTERCLASS PODCAST: In the second of our Short Story Masterclass podcasts, Joseph O’Connor talks about super-charging language, the taxi meter in readers’ heads, and how to know when your writing isn’t as good as it should be.
Bridges – A Global Anthology of Short Stories
‘Opening Bridges is like opening a box of tricks with each story containing a new, magical insight into human nature and the bridges that connect us.’ KIRSTY WALTERS recommends a Global Anthology of Short Stories.
Robert Louis Stevenson Day
‘Haunting, thought-provoking and superbly written. Perfect bedtime reading on dark November nights.’ As part of the celebrations on Robert Louis Stevenson Day, Professor BILL GRAY introduces us to the life and fables of the man himself.
Stories in Performance: A New Genre
JONATHAN TAYLOR, editor of Overheard: Stories to Read Aloud, discusses the new-genre (or sub-genre) of short fiction – the performance story.
Remembering Sam Selvon’s Short Stories
In his essay CYRIL DABYDEEN discusses memories of Sam Selvon’s short stories: ‘Selvon’s story-telling became immediate folklore with long-lasting echoes, due to his natural voice in narration and dialogue.’
A Space of Suspended Morality
ELLIE WALSH recommends ‘What We Wanted’, a short story by Canadian writer Michael V. Smith: ‘it is a story that shatters sides and boundaries.’