VICTORIA HEATH revels in the human truths of KJ Orr’s LIGHT BOX collection: ‘‘Disappearances’ has one such every day premise: a retired, yet highly regarded, plastic surgeon in Buenos Aires finds solace in a local café. But behind that unassuming front is an entrancing narrative that makes a connection with the reader on a very human level from the start…’
JUDY UPTON looks at the unforgettable stories of Flannery O’Connor: ‘Her understanding of the human condition makes it difficult to believe that the first of her stories in this collection was published when she was only twenty-one…’
RACHEL STEVENSON discovers how figurative language divulges meaning in Shirley Jackson’s ‘The Lottery’: ‘The box, representing both tradition and death, makes Jackson’s point clearly – to carry on with tradition and ritual equals death. This can be taken both literally, in the case of Tessie Hutchinson, the ‘winner’ of the Lottery, and figuratively, in the sense that if societies don’t move on, they will be wiped out by progress…’
MIKE SMITH finds a pivotal turning point in Elizabeth Bowen’s Collected Stories: ‘I’m struck by a sense of Bowen’s trajectory being on a downward curve. Individual stories are strong, but the sense of an ending coming is stronger…’
GEOFFREY HEPTONSTALL discusses John Fowles’s often overlooked collection, The Ebony Tower: ‘Fowles’s capacity for narrative invention indicates not only charisma, a secular magic, but also an extraordinary comprehension of the human.’
We are delighted to bring you this exclusive interview with JANE GARDAM, winner of the Charleston-Chichester Award for a Lifetime’s Excellence in Short Fiction, recorded at the Small Wonder Short Story Festival last September…
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…
MADELEINE MCDONALD discusses the influence of city life on the stories of Rainer Brambach: ‘This is a collection where the author stands back, observing, inviting readers to eavesdrop alongside him and draw their own conclusions.’
JANIS LANE examines tragedy in Rose Tremain’s short stories from The American Lover collection: ‘These tragedies are threaded throughout, ranging from high drama and death, to minor inconveniences, such as the departure of a spouse or lost love. The uniting factor is the characters’ vulnerability, and, often, a lack of control over their own destinies…’
VIDEO INTERVIEW: Acclaimed Danish author DORTHE NORS in conversation with Professor Alison MacLeod, at the University of Chichester, 2016.
