The story so far… Spring 2014: Twenty-year-old Agnes Bee has received notification that her husband, Dougie, has started divorce proceedings. (They married because Agnes was pregnant, but the baby died late in the pregnancy.) Agnes is chronically depressed. She wants to change her life but doesn’t know where to begin. Her best friend, Kath suggests they Read More
Francis buzzes the front door. The two of you wait outside for a while. He buzzes again. You lift the shopping bag that dangles from your wrist and switch hands. Letting it hang against your thigh, you can feel the condensation from the cold beers inside it. You’re about to pull out your phone Read More
Ascension Legend has it that the success of Led Zepplin’s Stairway To Heaven was an accident. It proved the perfect length of time to enjoy a cigarette, and DJs apparently took full advantage; the song became part of late night sacraments. Twists of life are perpetual; spinning us like blindfolded ballerinas into the next Read More
Red! Why red? It reminds me of danger, stop signs and post boxes. My biggest problem with red may have been the fact I was the only one in the school not in red. I moved around counties, towns and schools so often I suppose it made sense to have one uniform that ‘sort Read More
You say you loved me long before the draw. Not that it matters, but I’m sure you did – You fed your pleas to Hydra’s lantern jaw, and softly cried beneath this sleepless lid. Meanwhile my own resistance left the stage. My genuflected smile declared our peace – A stone-cold fear lurked on Read More
“We can’t just leave you on your own Mrs Harris,” the middle-aged policewoman said, pulling what she probably thought was her most genuine looking empathetic face, maintaining eye contact and smiling constantly, but being careful to make sure her smile was not too happy. Paula hated her. “We have a duty of care, you Read More
Monday 16 April Tonight was the first and last date with Geoff. 43 solid minutes I listened to him droning on at one point. I texted Jules at 7:01 telling her he’d just started talking about mushrooms and at 7:44 he was still going. Who knew there was so much to learn? Apparently, he recently Read More
We left the train station and turned right, towards the river Tilt. Close to the track we found a shop and a public toilet, for one last stop before heading up the valley. Mark bought an apple and a block of chocolate. I found an off-brand sports drink in the fridge and gulped it all. Read More
Gabriel Josipovici’s The Cemetery in Barnes (2018) is a very short novel, with the story spread across a mere one hundred pages. However, this is a novel of burning intensity that leaves the reader in a constant state of uncertainty with plotline that jumps between different phases in the protagonist’s, an unnamed translator, life. These Read More
Guy Gunaratne is recognised for his work as a video artist, filmmaker, video journalist and some writing. In Our Mad and Furious City, however, is his debut novel which has garnered a lot of buzz, having already been long-listed for the Booker and short-listed for the Goldsmith and Gordon Burn prizes. Set in London, Gunaratne’s Read More