Colllection

Flash Fiction collections from named authors.

Clearly Defined Clouds : Jude Higgins

This brilliant new collection by Jude Higgins showcases her mastery of condensed storytelling. Subtle, nuanced, and full of depth, Clearly Defined Clouds is run through with dreams and magic, the unexpected and the playful (see the Greek god piloting a paraglider). Higgins’ characters are peculiar, intelligent, flawed, and seeking. There’s an exquisite balance of richness and white space in these stories that feels profound, electric. It takes an abundance of skill to create the worlds Jude Higgins does in so few words. But beyond the obvious command of craft, her very particular worldview and wry understanding of human nature are delightfully on display here. No one else could write these stories just the way she does. To all who love flash fiction, and especially to students of the form, I can’t recommend this collection highly enough.
— Kathy Fish, author of Wild Life: Collected Works.

Clearly Defined Clouds is a wise and playful collection of short fiction, drenched in humor, ache and delight. The natural world hums through these stories which explore the emotional complexity of human relationships, including couples mis-communicating with flags, a child stealing baby Jesus, Jack and Jill as teenage hippies, and Persephone in a Zoom call. In turns both absurd and tender, these wildly inventive narratives are imbued with layers of meaning, keen observations and cinematic details, from the smallest earwig to a bluebell forest and a clogged toilet. Jude Higgins is an extraordinary writer with boundless imagination, and this highly memorable and deeply affecting collection is one to both savour and celebrate.
— Sara Hills, author of The Evolution of Birds

Jude Higgins is a master of flash fiction, and Clearly Defined Clouds is a brilliant collection. What I love about her work is that every piece both captures something magical and evokes wonder for her readers. Sometimes it is infused with surreality or magical realism such as when Persephone gives advice on Zoom to people who are learning to endure the loneliness of the Covid 19 lockdown or when Jill considers Jack years after the events of their song. Sometimes it captures the magic of the everyday with a yarn bomber or the child of a sick father playing with his father’s childhood teddy bear. What she always does, however, is find those moments for better or worse that make the world different and beautiful, those moments we often shut our eyes to, and she has us meditate upon them in a way we never have before.
— John Brantingham, author of Life, Orange to Pear

In Clearly Defined Clouds Jude Higgins demonstrates her enormous talent for writing small tales that often surprise and take the reader off in unexpected directions. Each story in this imaginative and engaging collection is exquisitely composed and satisfying. Highly recommended.
— Diane Simmons, author of A Tricky Dance

Anyone familiar with the work of Jude Higgins will be delighted by her latest collection of short-short fiction, Clearly Defined Clouds, and those who are new to her work will soon become fans. In these small tales she exudes wisdom and a deep understanding of human foibles and frailties as well as our capacity to forgive and accept that the best others can do is sometimes more than enough. The stories are at times tender, comic, eviscerating, wistful, nostalgic and hopeful. They repurpose mythology and folklore, revisit first love, reflect on older love. Relationships grow stale, conversations wither or are misconstrued, only to be renewed in another story by startling, moving moments of grace and love. The characters in these stories are often in a state of flux, but even when the future is uncertain, it is suffused with a vibrant life force. The final line of the last story ‘Before the Diggers Come’ perfectly encapsulates this gorgeous collection: If we join all chinks of hope together, they make a necklace that can’t be broken.
— Alison Woodhouse author of The House on the Corner

Paperback ISBN 978-1-912095-77-3; 133mm x 203mm; 146pp

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Positive and Negative : Nick Black

“This is such a brilliant collection. Nick Black’s prose is shining, muscular and glittering with unforgettable images. Each piece takes the reader into the depths of humour, tragedy or menace with skilful sparsity of words and mastery of language. A bold new voice, and a must-have for your bookshelves.”
~ Catherine Menon, author of Fragile Monsters.

“Dystopian, anarchic, witty, subversive – a Nick Black story is instantly recognisable and never to be forgotten. This collection of his flash fiction zings with energy and knife-sharp voices that both disturb and disarm, but there is also a haunting gentleness that will linger with you long after you put the book down. Positive and Negative is a tour de force of everything flash fiction can be.”
~ Fiona Mackintosh, author of The Yet Unknowing World.

Paperback ISBN 978-1-915247-12-4; 133mm x 203mm; 152pp

£12.99 GBP

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Now You See Him : Tim Craig

‘Tim Craig is a master of microfiction. With enviable confidence, Craig spins the most varied, playful and poignant tales. The stories in this collection, most a single tight page of killer prose, all deserve revisiting again and again and again.’
— Christopher Allen, author of Other Household Toxins and Editor of SmokeLong Quarterly

‘Nothing combines wit and woe as seamlessly as a Tim Craig story. Loss underlies even the jauntiest of his pieces. This is the essence of good storytelling — while the reader chuckles, a subtle ache remains. Now You See Him is flash fiction at its quintessential best.’
— Fiona J. Mackintosh, author of The Yet Unknowing World.

‘Now You See Him is a sharp, intelligent collection of flash fiction, written with a lapidary’s precision. Tim Craig’s crisp, clean prose is refreshing and full of heart. There are glimpses of Barthelme in his examination of human frailties and life’s absurdities. Craig proves himself a master of the form, managing the delicate balance of moving from dark hilarity to tragedy and back again. He holds back just enough to urge the reader to reflect on what is left unsaid and to appreciate that there is always more to the story than a first glance holds.’  
— Janice Leagra, Editor of Janus Literary.

‘Once I’d finished reading Now You See Him, Tim Craig’s debut collection, I immediately wanted to read it again. These very short fictions are like beautiful intricate puzzles, with many layers and threads to unravel. The stories reveal the devastating nature of human existence with great observational skill and wit. I was frequently moved, yet often snorted with laughter. Tim has a unique voice. Not to be missed.’
— Jude Higgins, author of The Chemist’s House.

Paperback ISBN 978-1-915247-14-8; 133mm x 203mm; 90pp

£10.49 GBP

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The Evolution of Birds : Sara Hills

In The Evolution of Birds, Sara Hills demonstrates her mastery of the short form as well as her deep understanding of the human condition. More than once I found myself holding my breath while reading these short, sharp miracles of narrative. These tiny stories, some no longer than half a page, glitter darkly, expose truths with precision and guts. Wild and raw and compellingly electric, Hills’s stories and the characters who inhabit them, will sear themselves into your heart and brain. Hills is an inimitable talent.
~ Kathy Fish, author of Wild Life: Collected Works from 2002-2018

Sara Hills’ The Evolution of Birds bursts with addictive, kinetic prose crafted by a writer with a confident vision and the precision of a surgeon. Each of these narratives proves that fully imagined characters can evolve on a single page. Hills plumbs the depths and the horrors of family, religion, and the sinister moments of youth. This is the flash narrative at its finest.
~ Christopher Allen, editor of SmokeLong Quarterly

The Evolution of Birds is an extraordinary debut. In a series of riveting stories, Sara Hills immerses us deeply into the often precarious lives of girls and women — children, very young women and mothers. Hills’ style is intimate, we’re close up to life-changing experiences. Her exact, startling images sear through to truths hard to tell. There is humour too and an inventive use of form. A must-read collection.
~ Jude Higgins, author of The Chemist’s House

There is a space where your breath catches in anticipation or fear or joy. Sara Hills finds that place with her debut flash fiction collection. Drawing readers in with each story, her words catch breath and life and death and grief. On each page, she serves up new images and descriptions that dig into souls, emotional and heart-rending. Each story nestles in and doesn’t let go – from mommy tigers to knitting a better mother, the relationships between life and words, the expected and the surreal create instantly-recognizable Sara Hills prose. Evocative and evolved, each story challenges the flash form and ideas with breath-catching storytelling. Hills’ chapbook could easily have been titled The Evolution of Flash.
~ Amy Barnes, author of Mother Figures

Sara Hills is a writer of extraordinary skill. For some time, I’ve considered her to be one of my favourite flash writers and her debut collection The Evolution of Birds confirms my view. This beautifully-crafted collection should not be missed.
~ Diane Simmons, author of Finding a Way

Paperback ISBN 978-1-912095-24-7; 133mm x 203mm; 136pp

£12.99 GBP

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The Yet Unknowing World : Fiona J. Mackintosh

“These stories by Fiona J. Mackintosh are miniature masterpieces, resonating far beyond the pages they inhabit. Mackintosh’s pen is assured, her vision clear-eyed yet compassionate. Like the paintings of Edward Hopper, The Yet Unknowing World invites us all to peer into the dark, quiet corners of human yearning and to connect with the flawed, aching beauty of our own hearts.”
~Kathy Fish, author of Wild Life: Collected Works from 2003-2018

“The Yet Unknowing World delights in bringing the reader on gorgeous, rippling voyages to Tahiti, Scotland, Greece, and beyond. In this collection, Fiona J. Mackintosh blindsides the reader, over and over, with the beauty of her imagination. We think we are one place and, suddenly, we’re lifted from the mundanity of care homes and supermarkets into a glorious elsewhere. Some of the journeys in these stories end poignantly, but many more culminate in joy. Simply stunning.”
~Nuala O’Connor, author of Birdie

“This is the world seen differently by an exceptionally gifted writer. These are stories hell-bent on over-stepping their boundaries, and many take on added significance from the stories that surround them. It is these unexpected links that make reading this collection such an exhilarating experience. There is an astonishing historical imagination at play as the writer takes us beyond the canvas with great insight and sensitivity. The writing is so artful it will carry you off on its own wings.”
~Annemarie Neary, author of Siren and The Orphans

“The Yet Unknowing World is a debut flash collection of restrained poignancy and beauty. Mackintosh’s economy of language, stunning sensory detail, and gift for simple, declarative narration beam the reader directly into every moment. Each story is wildly delicious, erotically mysterious, and fiercely compelling. We are in the hands of a word-painter whose mastery of character, image, and language suspends our disbelief with every brushstroke. There are emotional tapestries woven into every story, whether historical, futuristic, contemporary, or ekphrastic. Mackintosh’s stories read like lyrical celebrations of being alive.”
~Meg Pokrass, author of The Loss Detector, series co-editor, Best Microfiction

“These stories flash like lightning over the ocean, a wine bottle in the moonlight, a blade at high noon. You will be dazzled by the breadth of subject, the brevity of wit, and the depth of feeling. Mackintosh masters the form and takes you round the world.”
~Keith Donohue, New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen Child

Paperback ISBN 978-1-912095-06-3; 133mm x 203mm; 108pp

£11.99 GBP

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Gaps in the Light : Iona Winter

Gaps in the Light uses form in innovative ways to express deeply the experience of loss and joy in ways I can’t remember reading anywhere else. Nothing is binary here – everything feels multidimensional, so perfectly complicated, like echoes off multiple surfaces. It’s simply astounding!
~ Pip Adam, author of Nothing to See, The New Animals, I’m Working on a Building, and Everything We Hoped For

To read this work is to enter the forest as an elemental being, and then feel the loss of that forest. The lover, the bereft and the broken are here. It’s a journey of close attention, pain, rage and truth revealed as the path is taken. Gaps in the Light is compassionate, deeply chanted music.
~ Kirstie McKinnon, author of Songs from the Water

Gaps in the Light burns with fierce emotion; multiple voices float in and out until the whole text becomes hypnotic and taut … revealing the depths, nuances and complexities of love in all its forms with an utterly-earned intensity. Iona Winter asks you to stare directly into her eyes … be warned, she won’t blink first.
~ Helen Lehndorf, author of The Comforter and Write to the Centre

Paperback ISBN 978-1-912095-04-9; 133mm x 203mm; 110pp

£11.99 GBP

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This Alone Could Save Us : Santino Prinzi

‘With This Alone Could Save Us, Santino Prinzi has fashioned a collection of small, smart fictions that read large. Here is work undergirded by innovation, incisive wit, and a keen ability to navigate terrain that is personal, and at once universal to us all.’
—Robert Scotellaro, author of Nothing Is Ever One Thing

‘Santino Prinzi is a word-wizard of the heart—a writer who fearlessly excavates uncomfortable secrets. In This Alone Could Save Us, Prinzi’s first full collection of flash fiction, human nature is the subject, gentle surrealism the medium. Bizarre yet real, funny and crazily sad—it’s mesmerizing to watch Prinzi’s vulnerable characters work to free themselves from life’s stickiest webs. Subversive, haunting, beautiful—a must-have collection!’
—Meg Pokrass, author of Alligators At Night and Series Co-Editor, Best Microfiction 2020

‘This Alone Could Save Us is a richly varied collection of flash fiction. In these compact gems, Santino Prinzi makes exquisite use of magic and the surreal, but also the quiet, evocative gestures of ordinary life. You will find the deliciously unexpected within these pages, along with moments of breath-taking stillness. Highly recommended.’
—Kathy Fish, author of Wild Life: Collected Works from 2003-2018

‘Tender, poetic, and wonderfully surreal, Prinzi understands that stories can save us. Powerful flash fiction that lights up the page, this is the book we all need right now. It is one for the ages. This stunning collection will stay with you for years.’
—Angela Readman, author of Something Like Breathing and Don’t Try This At Home

‘In This Alone Could Save Us, Santino Prinzi demonstrates his enormous talent for drawing readers into his stories, often surprising them with surrealistic touches that appear totally believable and natural. The flash fictions in this impressive collection are widely varied, but each story is unmistakably Prinzi.’
—Diane Simmons, author of Finding a Way

‘Exceptionally engaging, closely observed and thought-provoking, this collection shows us a flash master at work as he explores the fault lines that crack open under our feet at moments of unplanned change. Seen through his eyes, the familiar becomes strange, solid becomes unsteady, and even the moon loses its faith in humanity, so moves on. Sometimes sad, sometimes playful, always memorable.’
—Vanessa Gebbie, author of The Coward’s Tale and five short fiction collections

Paperback; ISBN 978-1-912095-81-0; 196mm x 134mm; 144pp

£9.99 GBP

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All That Is Between Us : K.M. Elkes

This collection of flash fiction stories explores the complex fragility of human relationships, both the challenges of belonging and how much we risk to avoid being alone. It is a book of moments, evoking the beauty and comfort that connection brings…and the pain when it is severed.

‘Whoever you are, whatever you like to read, you need these stories in your life.’
–Tania Hershman, author of Some Of Us Glow More Than Others

‘These insightful and disarmingly honest stories shimmer with quirky brilliance.’
–Meg Pokrass, author of Alligators At Night

‘K.M. Elkes writes like a fallen angel, making the ordinary divine…This is breath-taking flash fiction at its finest.’
–Angela Readman, author of Something Like Breathing

‘Brings a Cheeveresque emotional punch to his stories…a masterclass in the heart-jolting satisfaction of great flash fiction.’
–Nuala O’Connor, author of Joyride to Jupiter

Paperback; ISBN 978-1-912095-53-7; 196mm x 134mm; 150pp

£9.99 GBP

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Alligators at Night : Meg Pokrass

A collection of 72 very short stories from Meg Pokrass, author of Bird Envy, Damn Sure Right, The Dog Looks Happy Upside Down and Here, Where We Live.

The nuanced tonal complexity, which can go from the whimsical to a darker irony in the turn of a phrase, has been a signature feature of the work of Meg Pokrass. That complexity is, in her new collection, Alligators at Night, heightened further by the fertile invention and unpredictable interplay of these beautifully crafted pieces.
— Stuart Dybek, author of Ecstatic Cahoots

Meg Pokrass is my favourite flash fiction writer at the moment. These stories work like stories within stories, the tiny cogs in the wheels of a bigger story machine but which, like fractal patterning, retain the shape of the whole story in perfect miniature form.
— David Gaffney, author of Sawn Off Tales

These small fictions are elegantly wrought, diamond-hard, and supremely satisfying.
— Robert Scotellaro, author of What We Know So Far and Bad Motel

If you ever hear someone say they don’t get flash fiction or ask what impact can you possibly make with prose in such few words? – tell them to read Meg Pokrass.
— Paul McVeigh, author of The Good Son

Paperback; ISBN 978-1-912095-65-0; 196mm x 134mm; 128pp

£9.99 GBP
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