202:) - Sisters Norma and Dolly live contrasting lives in a seaside town; Norma is a respected grandmother living in a large detached house and has no contact with Dolly who lives in a run-down caravan on the other side of the tracks. Then unbelievably Norma hears her sister's voice on the radio - she has started her own station: "Radio Gannet" including campaigns such as "Send a Pet to Lourdes"...
672:
writes "Her themes are generally contained within a domestic framework. She writes about families, loneliness, railways, suburbia, cats, clothes, old age, poets, shape-shifting, the oppression of kindness and the fatal stab of unkindness. Her style has a lyric elegance that has deceived critics into
703:
says "This is a wonderfully bittersweet selection of works by one of the modern masters of the short story. Shena Mackay is always entertaining, even as she conveys the humour and poignancy of relationships beset by the ravages of time and family life, as well as hard-earned compassion for her
251:
in April 2007) - Alex has just completed a year as visiting professor of a university but is staying on to run a couple of workshops at the university's summer poetry school, both to give him inspiration for his entry in his university apartment visitors book but more importantly to allow him
673:
describing her, with that most dismissive term of faint praise, as 'gentle'. But she is not gentle. She writes with a beautiful, controlled savagery of (to borrow one of her own phrases) 'the familiar tenderised and made strange by the darkness'. There are other writers with this gift -
393:" - Imogen Lemon suffers unwelcome attention from the owner of a local convenience store whom she nicknames 'bananas'. To her embarrassment he keeps trying to sell her gin and cigarettes. He later disappears only to reappear on the fly-ridden meat display.
26:
555:" - Since retirement Roy and Muriel Rowley have devoted themselves to good works of all kinds; from taking in injured animals and collecting jumble to giving blood and manning helplines; but their efforts are not appreciated by all.
167:
after spending the weekend with his cousin Beryl who has been researching a distant aunt - Florence Graham and her companion Archie
Erskine. Florence founded a school for sickly children, Archie worked on the construction of an
713:
writes "There are many writers who can elicit much feeling from a rollicking plot, but very few can manipulate the dreaminess of memory and fantasy with such exacting precision, or make the minutiae of other people's lives so
646:" - The narrator visits his reclusive Uncle Bob (who is compiling an index of embarrassing situations) and discovers that one of his neighbours has died. He takes Bob's dog Fido for a walk and meets the dead man's mother.
497:- It's 1956 and gay couple, Arthur and Guido moves into the small Kent village of Filston arousing suspicion and fear. But Joe is fascinated by them and spends as much time as possible in their company...
344:" in 1956, 50 years before) - after 40 years Louisa returns to her home town for a friends funeral and spots her first love Jeff in a charity shop, but her boots keep beating out "Heartbreak Hotel".
487:- Claudia, separated and now alone in her dilapidated country cottage recounts her problems with the family living next door and plans to turn the tables on the two young daughters when they come
265:) - Eloise prepares for a blind date with a friend of a friend which turns out far more eventful than she had feared when he arrives with bleeding fingers and a squirrel in his jacket acquired at
191:" to a literary society in a country town. After the talk he is accosted by an old flame who was once a nanny for his children. After they leave the hall together she turns into a vengeful goat.
859:
697:
finishes his review with "The bizarre and the banal, the half-remembered and the yet-to-come, brilliantly intertwine in the sentences of this most imaginative yet most practical of writers".
632:" - Lily has entered a short-story competition; novelist Andrea Heysham is one of the judges but is unable to convince the other judges that Lily's story should win and so offers her a job.
452:" - Harriet has the whole day to herself but a series of interruptions and a disastrous attempt to wash her daughter's favourite dress cause her to snap and murder the gasman with a marrow.
284:
guest house. As she takes her 'crazy yellow dog' for a walk one stormy day she recalls the dramatic events surrounding its arrival and the earlier 'disappearance' of one of her guests...
225:. Whilst Linda plans a nasty surprise for 'Flatface', a tomcat who has been terrorizing her. Maurice makes cardboard cut-outs of his family, used to fool neighbours that he has company..
481:" - Adam, inveterate thief and liar is searching his latest girlfriends flat. He finds her family photo album and when he sees her as a plumpo little girl, falls in love with her.
299:" describing the conflict between man and woman. A botany professor suffers an unwelcome disturbance from Ivy, a neighbour, asking for a sprig of his beloved holly to decorate a
922:
404:
is having an affair with one of his patients which takes place during evening surgery, meanwhile Mavis his formidable receptionist has a firm grip on fast approaching
Christmas.
843:
548:" - Alice visits her senile father in hospital every day and gets to know Pauline who works there. One day Pauline invites her back to her room in the staff residential block.
562:" - Vincent McCloud's singing career is on the rocks - convicted of tax evasion and swindled by his manager Delves Winthrop. He has secured a one-night show at
232:" (first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 1998) - On the West coast of Scotland Jock MacSiller is the tall, soft-spoken landlord of the "Walrus Inn" with his
653:" - Ian and Barbara run a mail order children's clothing company called 'Barbarians' and using their own children and those of their employees as models.
508:
houses a number of elderly tenants, amongst them is Miss Agnew who reflects on her situation and of her eccentric neighbours, but she dreams of change...
952:
625:" - Flora is researching her Great-Uncle Lawrence, a poet and is travelling to visit her Great-Uncle Lorimer who lives in a home for retired clowns.
430:
Elliot run their respective schools from adjoining premises. Their mutual antagonism comes to a head over a cat which shares their attentions...
474:" - Crime writer Susan Vigo, travelling by train to a literary foundation where she is guest reader, struggles with the plot of her next book.
947:
932:
123:
538:
743:
957:
903:
685:
come to mind. Mackay resembles them both in the beauty of her prose and in the absolute originality of her voice."
199:
563:
530:" - Vivien and Bonnie, a lesbian couple take over the old village post office and set up as antique dealers.
266:
674:
67:
844:
Jane
Shilling hails a virtuoso who reveals the human condition through tales of cats and washing machines
367:, but Milly has lost her job and together they pose in many of Sickert's paintings (including one named
296:
927:
618:" - Teddy arrives back at his brother Webster's house after spending twenty years working in Hong Kong.
459:" - Vanessa and Stella escape the clutches of their stepfather and spend a day Christmas shopping in
401:
668:
169:
887:
360:
593:
300:
118:
831:
819:
783:
771:
236:
wife, daughter and two talkative parrots for company. Unheard, the parrots reveal Jock to be
875:
341:
237:
693:
49:
923:
Omnivore book review roundup: Quotes from the critics and links to all the book reviews
567:
488:
364:
352:
292:
261:
155:
740:
25:
941:
747:
709:
688:
678:
464:
337:
333:
252:
opportunity to spend more time with Blythe
Gridley, the American wife of a colleague.
184:
140:
comprising thirteen new stories, and twenty-three selected from earlier collections.
77:
719:
222:
137:
39:
682:
356:
248:
233:
217:
188:
180:
505:
416:
807:
795:
759:
700:
322:
318:
211:
933:
Sunsets and
Suburbia: a review of The Atmospheric Railway by Shena Mackay
412:
295:) - the title and theme comes from the chorus of an old English carol, "
460:
321:, Martin collects his grandson from school and makes an apple pie from
187:) - Writer and critic Campbell Forsyth gives a lecture on "Fiction and
904:
Jenny Turner celebrates the sinister, hilarious vision of Shena Mackay
280:
in 2001) - Effie de Vere no longer lets out rooms in 'Shalimar', her
215:
in 2003) - Linda and her brother
Maurice are united in their love of
164:
504:" - Off-season an upper floor of the decaying Blair Atholl Hotel in
723:
says the stories are "fabulous in patches, but do not quite add up"
537:" - Violet Greene attends the funeral of her first lover Felix, at
160:
928:
Interview with Shena Mackay: It all began with Freud and Bacon...
596:
1954 and the
Smithers family is preparing for Guy Fawkes Night.
419:
for Vivian
Violett, an elderly poet who is writing his memoirs.
570:
and takes the opportunity to call on Delves, who lives nearby.
281:
351:" (first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2001, read by
291:" (first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1998, read by
332:" (first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2006, read by
198:" (first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2002, read by
426:" - Art teacher Alfred Ellis and dance tutor Araidne
136:, is a 2008 short story collection by British author
117:
109:
101:
93:
83:
73:
63:
55:
45:
35:
639:" - Beatrice is meeting her best friends daughter.
133:The Atmospheric Railway: New and Selected Stories
355:)- Milly and Hubert live in a rented flat in
310:" - A man explains his love for wasp's nests.
8:
159:in 2008) - Neville is returning by train to
18:
24:
17:
411:" - Simon who should be studying for his
363:. Hubert is the assistant of the painter
733:
221:, a long-running BBC radio soap set in
662:Reviews are generally positive :
450:The Most Beautiful Dress in the World
170:'atmospheric railway' in South London
7:
860:Some real magic – and fake mistletoe
297:The Contest of the Ivy and the Holly
760:Afternoon Reading: Birds and Beasts
796:Radio 3 Drama & Readings, 2007
14:
808:BBC Radio 4 Extra - Nay, Ivy, Nay
359:where Milly is worried about the
717:However Jenny Turner writing in
953:British short story collections
820:Genmome Radio Times 1923 - 2009
472:Dreams of Dead Women's Handbags
439:Dreams of Dead Women's Handbags
832:Genome Radio Times 1923 - 2009
784:Genome Radio Times 1923 - 2009
772:Genome Radio Times 1923 - 2009
1:
546:The Curtain with a Knot in it
948:2008 short story collections
616:The Worlds Smallest Unicorn
605:The Worlds Smallest Unicorn
485:The Thirty-first of October
245:The Heart of Saturday Night
974:
644:The Index of Embarrassment
276:" (first published in the
259:" (first published in the
23:
479:Other People's Bathrobes
19:The Atmospheric Railway
888:Regrets, I've had a few
707:Alyssa McDonald in the
590:Till the Cows Come Home
579:Collected Short Stories
564:The De La Warr Pavilion
539:St. James's, Piccadilly
278:Sunday Express Magazine
267:Green Park tube station
207:The Lower Loxley Affect
183:in March 2007, read by
151:The Atmospheric Railway
247:" (first broadcast on
209:" (first published in
179:" (first broadcast on
153:" (first published by
68:Short story collection
878:Retrieved 2012-08-13.
750:Retrieved 2012-08-13.
502:Where the Carpet Ends
415:is instead acting as
560:The Laughing Academy
517:The Laughing Academy
495:All the Pubs in Soho
424:Babies in Rhinestone
380:Babies in Rhinestone
325:found in his garden.
958:Jonathan Cape books
909:, 15 November 2008.
669:The Daily Telegraph
623:Crossing the Border
20:
894:, 30 October 2008.
866:, 21 November 2008
834:Retrieved 17/5/21.
822:Retrieved 17/5/21.
810:Retrieved 17/5/21.
798:Retrieved 17/5/21.
786:Retrieved 17/5/21.
774:Retrieved 16/5/21.
762:Retrieved 16/5/21.
361:Camden Town Murder
257:Jumbo Takes a Bath
230:That Innocent Bird
666:Jane Shilling of
630:Death by Art Deco
594:Fifth of November
553:Cloud-Cuckoo-Land
489:trick or treating
400:" - Dr Frazer, a
303:for her sister...
301:Christmas pudding
129:
128:
94:Publication place
46:Cover artist
965:
910:
901:
895:
885:
879:
873:
867:
857:
851:
841:
835:
829:
823:
817:
811:
805:
799:
793:
787:
781:
775:
769:
763:
757:
751:
738:
528:A Pair of Spoons
342:Heartbreak Hotel
238:Long John Silver
85:Publication date
28:
21:
973:
972:
968:
967:
966:
964:
963:
962:
938:
937:
919:
914:
913:
902:
898:
886:
882:
874:
870:
864:The Independent
858:
854:
842:
838:
830:
826:
818:
814:
806:
802:
794:
790:
782:
778:
770:
766:
758:
754:
739:
735:
730:
694:The Independent
660:
409:Pink Cigarettes
398:Evening Surgery
146:
102:Media type
86:
31:
12:
11:
5:
971:
969:
961:
960:
955:
950:
940:
939:
936:
935:
930:
925:
918:
917:External links
915:
912:
911:
896:
880:
868:
852:
836:
824:
812:
800:
788:
776:
764:
752:
746:2013-04-21 at
732:
731:
729:
726:
725:
724:
715:
705:
698:
686:
659:
656:
655:
654:
647:
640:
637:Trouser Ladies
633:
626:
619:
598:
597:
592:" - it is the
572:
571:
568:Bexhill-on-Sea
556:
549:
542:
531:
510:
509:
498:
492:
482:
475:
468:
457:Cardboard City
453:
432:
431:
420:
405:
394:
373:
372:
365:Walter Sickert
353:Tilly Vosburgh
345:
340:'s first hit "
336:- inspired by
326:
311:
304:
293:Crawford Logan
285:
270:
262:Sunday Express
253:
241:
226:
203:
200:Elizabeth Bell
192:
173:
156:A Public Space
145:
142:
127:
126:
121:
115:
114:
111:
107:
106:
103:
99:
98:
97:United Kingdom
95:
91:
90:
87:
84:
81:
80:
75:
71:
70:
65:
61:
60:
57:
53:
52:
47:
43:
42:
37:
33:
32:
29:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
970:
959:
956:
954:
951:
949:
946:
945:
943:
934:
931:
929:
926:
924:
921:
920:
916:
908:
905:
900:
897:
893:
892:New Statesman
889:
884:
881:
877:
872:
869:
865:
861:
856:
853:
850:, 13 Nov 2008
849:
848:The Telegraph
845:
840:
837:
833:
828:
825:
821:
816:
813:
809:
804:
801:
797:
792:
789:
785:
780:
777:
773:
768:
765:
761:
756:
753:
749:
748:archive.today
745:
742:
737:
734:
727:
722:
721:
716:
714:sympathetic."
712:
711:
710:New Statesman
706:
702:
699:
696:
695:
690:
689:Aamer Hussein
687:
684:
680:
679:Hilary Mantel
676:
675:Helen Simpson
671:
670:
665:
664:
663:
657:
652:
648:
645:
641:
638:
634:
631:
627:
624:
620:
617:
613:
612:
611:
610:
609:(1999) :
607:
606:
602:
595:
591:
587:
586:
585:
584:
583:(1994) :
581:
580:
576:
569:
565:
561:
557:
554:
550:
547:
543:
540:
536:
532:
529:
525:
524:
523:
522:
521:(1993) :
519:
518:
514:
507:
503:
499:
496:
493:
490:
486:
483:
480:
476:
473:
469:
466:
465:Covent Garden
462:
458:
454:
451:
447:
446:
445:
444:
443:(1987) :
441:
440:
436:
429:
425:
421:
418:
414:
410:
406:
403:
399:
395:
392:
388:
387:
386:
385:
384:(1983) :
382:
381:
377:
370:
366:
362:
358:
354:
350:
346:
343:
339:
338:Elvis Presley
335:
334:Barbara Flynn
331:
327:
324:
320:
316:
312:
309:
305:
302:
298:
294:
290:
289:Nay, Ivy, Nay
286:
283:
279:
275:
271:
268:
264:
263:
258:
254:
250:
246:
242:
239:
235:
231:
227:
224:
220:
219:
214:
213:
208:
204:
201:
197:
193:
190:
186:
185:Barbara Flynn
182:
178:
174:
171:
166:
162:
158:
157:
152:
148:
147:
143:
141:
139:
135:
134:
125:
124:0-224-07298-6
122:
120:
116:
112:
108:
104:
100:
96:
92:
88:
82:
79:
78:Jonathan Cape
76:
72:
69:
66:
62:
58:
54:
51:
48:
44:
41:
38:
34:
30:First edition
27:
22:
16:
907:The Guardian
906:
899:
891:
883:
871:
863:
855:
847:
839:
827:
815:
803:
791:
779:
767:
755:
741:Random House
736:
720:The Guardian
718:
708:
692:
667:
661:
650:
643:
636:
629:
622:
615:
608:
604:
603:
600:
599:
589:
582:
578:
577:
574:
573:
559:
552:
545:
534:
527:
520:
516:
515:
512:
511:
501:
494:
484:
478:
471:
456:
449:
442:
438:
437:
434:
433:
427:
423:
408:
397:
390:
383:
379:
378:
375:
374:
368:
348:
329:
314:
307:
288:
277:
273:
260:
256:
244:
229:
223:Lower Loxley
216:
210:
206:
196:Radio Gannet
195:
176:
154:
150:
138:Shena Mackay
132:
131:
130:
50:Jonny Hannah
40:Shena Mackay
15:
704:characters.
683:Jane Gardam
357:Camden Town
308:Wasp's Nest
249:BBC Radio 3
234:Martiniquan
218:The Archers
189:Metafiction
181:BBC Radio 4
942:Categories
728:References
651:Barbarians
506:Eastbourne
417:amanuensis
876:Booktrust
701:Booktrust
658:Reception
323:windfalls
319:Martinmas
315:Windfalls
212:The Times
74:Publisher
744:Archived
413:O-levels
330:Swansong
274:Shalimar
56:Language
461:Harrods
391:Bananas
317:" - On
144:Stories
59:English
535:Angelo
165:Dorset
36:Author
428:(sic)
369:Ennui
349:Ennui
177:Nanny
161:Poole
110:Pages
105:Print
64:Genre
601:From
575:From
513:From
463:and
435:From
376:From
119:ISBN
89:2008
691:in
566:in
282:Ayr
163:in
113:432
944::
890:,
862:,
846:,
681:,
677:,
402:GP
371:).
649:"
642:"
635:"
628:"
621:"
614:"
588:"
558:"
551:"
544:"
541:.
533:"
526:"
500:"
491:.
477:"
470:"
467:.
455:"
448:"
422:"
407:"
396:"
389:"
347:"
328:"
313:"
306:"
287:"
272:"
269:.
255:"
243:"
240:.
228:"
205:"
194:"
175:"
172:.
149:"
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
