The Fiction Desk Anthology Series - Volume 13
Somewhere This Way
A review
The
Fiction Desk Anthology series has now reached its thirteenth volume, entitled “Somewhere
This Way”. In his introduction to this
latest issue, editor Rob Redman explains that, as in previous years, the theme
and title of the collection were suggested "by the stories themselves" as they
were being compiled. In this case, the
stories explore, to quote the blurb on the back, the routes people take through life: they find their
way, lose the thread they’re following, or think again about the path they’re
on. It’s an
intriguing unifying theme – one which gives the collection itself a “thread to
follow”, whilst allowing for a degree of variety in the subject of the
individual pieces.
It is
also a theme which reflects – albeit obliquely – the political realities of
the present, especially with the looming cloud of Brexit. Redman insists that the publication does not
generally take a political position and his stance is, accordingly, restrained
and measured. Yet, he comments on the
importance of a strong and open relationship between the countries of Europe
and the benefits which come from freedom of movement. Perhaps
it comes as no surprise that, compared to previous anthologies in the series,
this particular selection contains a strong dose of realism, and is often
tinged with a sense of sadness and nostalgia.
A case
in point is “Our Gaff”, by Poppy Toland, a young woman’s coming of age story,
narrated by her mother, a single parent with mental health issues. Massive Attack’s song “Unfinished Sympathy”
is repeatedly referenced, as if it were a sort of imaginary soundtrack, imbuing
the writing with the wistful melancholy of trip-hop. Toland’s piece placed second in the Fiction
Desk’s Newcomer Prize. The winning
entry – “Seelence” – by Lahra Crowe is also included in this collection and also
deals with loss. Set against the sublime
backdrop of the Scottish Highlands, its narrator is a young widow who resists her
family’s pressure to return to a conventional life. The story is remarkable in
its use of Scottish dialect, which is only momentarily abandoned, subtly
suggesting the inescapable link between language and thought (an idea which
reminded me strongly of the late Andrea Camilleri’s historical novel La
mossa del cavallo).
The theme
of “routes” and “journeys” takes on a literal twist in Michael Hurst’s Life
on the Road. Colleagues Terri and
Richard are travelling by car to their firm’s head office. It is evident that there is a history to
their relationship which goes beyond work, but this particular trip will test it
to the limits.
It is
not the first time that these anthologies have explored technology and its
impact on individuals. “Broken Pixel”, Matt Harris’s first story to feature in
the series, uses the subject of “cyber-espionage” to explore the ways in which our contemporary lives our mapped out on the internet.
Edinburgh-based
author Alastair Chisholm returns with two contributions. In "The Castle", a day at the beach reveals
the difficulties faced by a little boy in accepting his mother’s new
partner. The symbolism is effective, despite
being hardly subtle. I preferred Chisholm’s
second story – “Exhalation” – which is almost Poe-like in its portrayal of obsession
and descent into madness.
The
Fiction Desk has consistently given priority to narrative over form and has
never shied away from genre ficton. “Deep
Green Leaves”, by regular contributor Alex Clark, fits these parameters nicely
and provides a strong opener to this collection. I won’t reveal too many
details, except to state that this starts off as a crime story and ends up somewhere
completely different. It’s also a touching
exploration of solitude and outsiderness.
As far
as “genre” is concerned, The Fiction Desk has been particularly attentive to
the ghost story, featuring no less than three volumes exclusively dedicated to
supernatural tales. (You can read my
review of the third one here). It’s
surely difficult to come across a ghost story as heart-warming Guy Russell’s “The
Haunted Bookshop”. It features a spectre
who is not only benign, but decidedly and actively benevolent. The story is also a love-song to bookshops and
fiction in general, and provides a fitting ending to this collection.
In the
past months, The Fiction Desk announced several changes to its editorial approach,
with the abolition of its long-established Newcomer, Ghost Story and Flash
Fiction competitions, and their replacement with “themed” calls for submissions. Perhaps, like the protagonists of “Somewhere This
Way”, this publication also needs to take stock of where it is now, with a view
to venturing into pastures new. I sincerely
hope that the values of well-crafted storytelling which have defined it so far
will be retained in the next stage of its unfinished journey...
As a
musical bonus, here’s Massive Attack’s “Unfinished Sympathy”, in a live
performance by another legendary trip-hop outfit “Hooverphonic”
Published August 2019
ISBN 9780992754792
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