FAIRLIGHT MODERNS

 

A collection of new short modern fictions from around the world

Dancing in the Shallows

by Clare Reddaway

Isla moves to the Isle of Skye to escape her purposeless life. But as she learns more about her family, she must question whether family patterns can really be broken.

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Small Wars in Madrid

by Anthony Ferner

Alone in his Madrid apartment and faced with the prospect of losing his family, David Aguilera confronts his conflicting Catholic and Jewish identities to reconnect with his wife and children.

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The Old Haunts

by Allan Radcliffe

A wistful coming-of-age story, painting a tender portrait of grief in all its complexities, set across rural Scotland and Edinburgh.

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The Two-Tailed Snake by Nod Ghosh - Fairlight Moderns

The Two-Tailed Snake

by Nod Ghosh

North-east India, 1945. Fourteen-year-old Joya doesn’t pay much attention to ‘political business’ – yet when her father disappears without a trace, Joya’s life falls apart.

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A Good Year by Polis Loizou - Fairlight Moderns

A Good Year

by Polis Loizou

In this folklore-inspired tale, Polis Loizou tells the story of heavily pregnant Despo and her husband Loukas, as the kalikantzari begin to roam…

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Voting Day by Clare O'Dea - Fairlight Moderns

Voting Day

by Clare O’Dea

In this powerful novella, Clare O’Dea explores the 1959 Swiss suffrage referendum through the eyes of four very different Swiss women.

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Blue Postcards by Douglas Bruton - Fairlight Moderns

Blue Postcards

by Douglas Bruton

Set in Paris, this atmospheric tale delicately intertwines three connected narratives and timelines, interspersed with observations of the colour blue.

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Taking Flight

Taking Flight

by JT Torres

In this beautifully told drama of the bond between grandson and grandmother, JT Torres delicately explores the difficulties of dementia and mental ill health.

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Missing Words by Loree Westron - Fairlight Moderns

Missing Words

by Loree Westron

Set against the backdrop of the strikes in the 1980s, Missing Words is a heart-warming journey about self-discovery and the power of family ties.

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Only About Love

Only About Love

by Debbi Voisey

In snapshots through time, Only About Love takes a sweeping loop around the life of Frank as he navigates courtship, marriage, fatherhood and illness.

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Atlantic Winds by William Prendiville

Atlantic Winds

by William Prendiville

It’s 1970s Canada. the small island community of Bear Lake is awash with rumours of layoffs and wildcat strikes at the mill. When a tragic accident occurs at the mill, the whole community unites…

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Minutes from the Miracle City by Omar Sabbagh Fairlight Moderns

Minutes from the Miracle City

by Omar Sabbagh

Set during the last few days of Ramadan, Omar Sabbagh’s novella is a unique retelling of the virtuoso project that is Dubai.

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Milton in Purgatory by Edward Vass Fairlight Moderns

Milton in Purgatory

by Edward Vass

Milton begins his day in Oxford, England. But after he is hit by a speeding car he ends up somewhere quite different…

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The Therapist by Nial Giacomelli Fairlight Moderns

The Therapist

by Nial Giacomelli

In this bittersweet and hauntingly surreal tale, a couple finds the distance between them mirrored in a strange epidemic sweeping the globe.

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The Nail House by Gregory Baines Fairlight Moderns

The Nail House

by Gregory Baines

Set in China, the novella explores morality and corruption. Lindon, an Australian project manager, has to make the tough decision between right and wrong, love and war.

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Bottled Goods by Sophie van Llewyn Fairlight Moderns

Bottled Goods

by Sophie van Llewyn

Set in 1970s communist Romania, Sophie van Llewyn’s novella-in-flash draws upon magic realism to weave a tale of everyday troubles, that can’t be put down.

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Travelling in the Dark by Emma Timpany Fairlight Moderns

Travelling in the Dark

by Emma Timpany

Set in the wild, beautiful and unreliable landscape of southern New Zealand, Emma Timpany’s novella is an evocative story of a woman coming to terms with her past.

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The Driveway Has Two Sides by Sara Marchant Fairlight Moderns

The Driveway Has Two Sides

by Sara Marchant

On an East Coast island, full of tall pine moaning with sea gusts, Delilah moves into a cottage by the shore. Across the driveway lives a man who never goes out. Delilah knows he’s watching her too and she likes the look of him, but perhaps life is too complicated already…

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There Are Things I Know by Karen B. Golightly Fairlight Moderns

There Are Things I Know

by Karen B. Golightly

One day, during a school field trip, Pepper is kidnapped by a stranger and driven to rural Arkansas. The man, who calls himself ‘Uncle Dan’, claims that Pepper’s mother has died and they are to live together from now on – but the boy isn’t convinced.

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Inside the Bone Box by Anthony Ferner Fairlight Moderns

Inside the Bone Box 

by Anthony Ferner

Nicholas Anderton is a highly respected neurosurgeon at the top of his field. But behind the successful façade all is not well. Tormented by a toxic marriage and haunted by past mistakes, Anderton has been eating to forget. His wife, meanwhile, has turned to drink.

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Share the Fairlight Moderns with your book club or writing circle using these reading and writing notes

***Please observe that these notes contain spoilers***

A Good Year

Voting Day

Blue Postcards

Taking Flight

Missing Words

Only About Love

Bottled Goods

Travelling in the Dark

The Driveway Has Two Sides

There Are Things I Know

Inside the Bone Box

Atlantic Winds

Minutes from the Miracle City

Milton in Purgatory

The Therapist

The Nail House