Saved
‘If I told you that a short story collection saved me as a reader and as a writer, would you believe me? Probably not. But it’s true…’ GINA PARSONS finds her writing self through the stories of Robert Shearman.
An Interview with an Elusive Writer
In a special follow-up post to his shortlisted feature, Stephen Devereux interviews the elusive author Helen Harris, gaining insight into her writing processes, her choice of narrative perspective, and teaching creative writing…
Fairy Tales and Thomas Hardy
CHRISTINE GENOVESE considers the influence of fairy tales on the short stories of Thomas Hardy: ‘The magic in ‘The Fiddler of the Reels’ is illusory. Hardy does not pull rabbits out of hats. That would upset the balance…’
On George Mackay Brown
FRANCESCA CREFFIELD explores the life and writing of George Mackay Brown: ‘…once I started reading the stories I was immersed in a rich culture of storytelling unlike any I had ever known before. Gone were the creative writing rules of beginning, middle and end…’
No Story Without Trouble
PRATIBHA CASTLE takes a reflective look at Kevin Barry’s award-winning short stories: ‘Barry’s stories creak with trouble. His words throb dark and heavy on the page. His landscapes are hostile…’
Subtle Brilliance
HAYLEY N. JONES learns some valuable writing lessons from ‘The Lottery’ by Shirley Jackson: ‘Its brilliant subtlety draws me into a world that is both horrifying and horribly like my own…’