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Can we all pretend I never said I was trying to write a novel? Let’s never speak of it again.

Today is International Short Story Day. (It does sometimes feel as if there’s always a short story day of some description taking place.) There is a list of events and stories up here. It seems like the perfect time to draw your attention to a wonderful story which was recently announced winner of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. It’s written by Emma Martin, who I’m proud to say is a pal of mine. I have that delicious feeling of having known an amazing writer before everyone else twigged and I’m truly delighted for her. Whooooo hoooooo, Emma!  You can read her story at Granta.

Calum Kerr has done an a-may-zing job of creating, curating and directing the first ever National Flash Fiction Day. There are events and doings all over the country, see here for further details.

 FlashFlood is a journal to celebrate the day with, erm, a flash of flood. You can read a daft little story of mine there – The Key – which combines two of my passions – book selling and Buffy. There are heaps of fab fictions from flashers all over the world appearing throughout the day, so, lots to read.

I am really thrilled to be in Jawbreakers which is the official National Flash Fiction Day Anthology.

Isn’t it gorgeous? There’s a full list of contributors (including Ali Smith – squee) and details of how to order here, it’s available to download for the kindle, or as a delicious real book. You can also buy it from Brighton Waterstones (which is where I took the photo). Aces!

Tonight I’ll be reading, chatting and generally being flashy (harhar) at Southampton City Library.

“From 6.30pm, an evening of flash-fiction, reading, talking and celebrating the first ever National Flash-Fiction Day, with Calum Kerr, Vanessa Gebbie, Holly Howitt, Sara Crowley, Tim Stevenson, Gail Aldwin and more. Complete with the launch of the first NFFD anthology and, we hope, some technical wizardry. Come along and help launch the Day.”

Finally, in honour of the day, I’ve created a rather nifty National Flash Fiction Day display at Brighton Waterstones – looky looky:

One of my favourite stories of Ethel Rohan’s is Shatter at FRiGG. Maybe it’s because the main character feels so real. I recognise her and am touched.

“She chewed harder on the side of her thumb. Maybe she should call her husband back and tell him to forget the chips. Hardly any of her clothes fit anymore. Her mouth watered. What was living if she couldn’t have her few treats every evening, some chips with wine before dinner after a hard day’s work. She thought to phone her mother, but felt too tired. She really should call her sister, too, one of these days. They hadn’t spoken in months.”


I appreciate Rohan’s skill at conjuring with reality and the ache of life, saying so much in a clean, crisp, concise way. That the title of her collection of short stories is Cut Through the Bone seems incredibly fitting as that is exactly how she works her words. It’s a must read book as far as I’m concerned. Congratulations too, Ethel, for being one of The Story Prize’s “Notable 2010 Short Story Collections”

Some sad news this week that Cami Park has died. I didn’t know her but we were facebook friends and she was a writer that I saw and admired around the internet. She blogged here and I recommend you read her words and I send my sincere condolences to her family and friends. 

…that David Vann’s “Legend of a Suicide” and Breece D’J Pancake’s “Collected Stories” make perfect partners: cream/cream, turtle/fox, suicide/suicide, sense of place/sense of place, incredible prose/incredible prose.

What do you think?

You could click on this link and go check out the debut of Corium if you feel like doing so. I think you’ll be glad to read some of the good words available to you there.

I used to do this best of the year thing and then Matt died and nothing felt best. I suppose it’s a good sign that I feel a little like doing a sort of a best of the year thingybob. My main problem is that I can barely remember what happened this morning let alone twelve months ago, so it’s more a snapshot of things I think are rather splendid on the 30th December 2009.

Arms of the year award.

MELT!

Novel of the year

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout was my most enjoyable read of the year. I loved the writing, the stories and the character of Olive. Such a beautiful book.

However my novel of the year is Lorrie Moore’s A Gate at the Stairs. It was an exciting event to have a new Moore book to read, and she did not disappoint with her hugely ambitious novel.

My WBQ review:

Tassie Keltjin leaves her rural home to study in liberal, artsy Troy. She takes a job as a part-time nanny for a white couple and their adopted ‘biracial’ daughter, then she falls in love and becomes increasingly distant from her own family.

Fans of Lorrie Moore should rest assured that this long-awaited novel is chock-full of her customary word play, the sugar with which she coats her biting social commentary. Her appraisal of post-9/11 America is engaging, witty and quietly devastating; this story follows characters who are distorted, as though in a house of mirrors, by the trials of life and time.

Short Story Collection of the year

My runner up is A.L Kennedy’s What Becomes which is an impeccable collection from one of the most talented writers around. These are stories that ache and resonate as Kennedy’s stylistic scalpel reveals the pain and truth inside each of her characters. Highly recommended. But not my winner.

You all can guess my winner right?

Janice Galloway’s Collected Stories brings together stories from “Blood” and “Where You Find It” and is a masterclass on writing. In my opinion there is no finer writer around. All this judgement, all these “best of’s” are nonsensical, it’s all subjective. And yet, for me, Galloway picks the perfect words each time. Bloody marvellous!

Album of the year

Jay-Z Blueprint 3

What a record! Empire State of Mind and Run This Town are both so, so, so fabulous.

Lesson of the year

You know that sometimes people say that writing is all about who you know. Cliques and in peeps, blah bah blah. I have observed some of that myself actually, occasionally. But sometimes you can write something and it will be good, and that’s all that is needed. Funny that, eh? All you actually need do is write good words!

So – here’s to good words.

Bridport have published their list of prizewinners and shortlisted authors here. I have only read one of the stories – “On Creation” by Anna Britten. I can’t imagine the quality of those that beat this to the top three. I have read many, many short stories this year and On Creation is the one that stays with me, it is hugely ambitious, superbly controlled writing. Congratulations to all Bridporters – especially to Anna whose writing is inspiring and quite marvellous – I look forward to the anthology.