30 Oct 2012 15:58:49
This annual collection of short fiction from students doing the MA in creative writing at Birkbeck has reached its ninth edition, and, in keeping with similar collections by writers at the start of their careers, it has been sprinkled with stories by more established writers – no doubt to make it more saleable. This immediately creates a tension: can you tell which pieces are by the professionals (without peeking at the names)? The star writers are perhaps a tad more relaxed, their narratives push forward confidently, they have killed their darlings. But this is a strong collection across the board. I particularly enjoyed Maggie Womersley's twisted tale of two sisters, Thaddeus Hickman's gratifyingly dark granddad and the instinctive kindness of Jenn Ashworth's young helper. Lucy Hume bucks the trend for short stories without a proper ending with her neatly turned piece, "At Bistro Joe's". The jury's out on whether good writing can be taught, but this collection suggests that, at the very least, Birkbeck choose their creative writing students well.
