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: 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…’
‘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.
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.
‘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.
‘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.
JONATHAN TAYLOR, editor of Overheard: Stories to Read Aloud, discusses the new-genre (or sub-genre) of short fiction – the performance story.
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.’
ELLIE WALSH recommends ‘What We Wanted’, a short story by Canadian writer Michael V. Smith: ‘it is a story that shatters sides and boundaries.’
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…’
