Three short story collections you SHOULD be reading right now....

I have been really fortunate to have been given these amazing books recently. They are the ones to watch - and you really will love them...

Set in Caerphilly, a sleepy castle town in South Wales, Thomas Morris' debut collection reveals its treasures in unexpected ways, offering vivid and moving glimpses of the lost, lonely and bemused. By turns poignant, witty, and tender - these entertaining stories detail the lives of people who know where they are, but don't know what they're doing.



This is the work of a young writer with a startlingly fresh voice, an uncanny ear for dialogue and a broad emotional range. We Don't Know What We're Doing is a major launch for the Faber fiction list in 2015.

 

'Heiny explores sex, relationships and the internal lives of young women in this charmingly candid collection … Following their stories is like sitting at a dive bar tossing back deceptively pretty, surprisingly strong drinks with a pal who may not always make the best decisions but always comes away with the most colourful tales’ Kirkus

What’s it about? A collection of ten exquisite stories that form a guided tour of the human heart. 
In the title story, we meet Maya, who is torn between her wryly funny boyfriend and the allure of her veterinarian. In ‘Andorra,’ a woman’s lover calls her every Thursday as he drives to meet his wife at marriage counselling. ‘How to Give the Wrong Impression’ shows us a woman pining for her roommate, a man who will hold her hand but then tell her that her palm is sweaty. In ‘The Dive Bar’ a girl agrees to have a drink with her married lover’s wife. Revisiting Maya in several stories, chronicling her various states of love, this is a collection about how we are unfaithful to each other, both wilfully and unwittingly. Populated with unwelcome house guests, disastrous birthday parties, needy but loyal friends, and flirtatious older men, the stories are emotionally astute, sexy, and disarming – and they introduce us to a tart, and marvellous, new voice.

Published by 4th Estate. I love them.

 'Astonishing - one of those rare books that manages to be both poignant and hilarious. The last time we had a debut this big was Junot Diaz with 'Drown'. Holmes is a major talent.' Philipp Meyer

Fearless, candid, and incredibly funny, Lauren Holmes is a newcomer who writes like a master. She tackles eros and intimacy with a deceptively light touch, a keen awareness of how their nervous systems tangle and sometimes short-circuit, and a genius for revealing our most vulnerable, spirited selves. With heart, sass, and pitch-perfect characters, BARBARA THE SLUT is a head-turning debut from a writer with a limitless career before her.  



Massive thank you to Lettice Franklin, and all at 4th Estate for this one.