Why I Write is a series of four short films commissioned by The Literary Consultancy (TLC) and featuring Hanif Kureishi, Kit De Waal, Elle McNicoll and, here, Ashley Hickson-Lovence. All four films can be viewed on the TLC website, where there is also a link to the TLC’s Associate Artist Fund.
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Gigantic
An extract from Ashley Stokes’ new novel, Gigantic, published by Unsung Stories on 2nd September 2021. Gigantopithecus Intelligence Team Report #214 (Category A) Section 1 Submitted by Witness: Monday, 8 July _________________________________________________________ SUMMARY: A man filming a children’s party on common land reports sighting a large ape-like biped moving through nearby trees ________________________________________________________ […]
10 Bela Road
A story from Sonal Kohli’s debut collection of linked short stories, The House Next to the Factory, published by HarperCollins India in September 2021. I remove the measuring tape from around my neck and put it in the drawer along with the shears and chalk. If Masterji comes on time, we can start with these […]
Dust Off The Bones
An extract from Dust Off The Bones by Paul Howarth, published by One (Pushkin House) on 26 August 2021 PROLOGUE 1885 Central Queensland, Australia They stood on the bank of the desert crater, staring down into hell. Trampled humpies, scattered possessions, discarded weapons, severed limbs, all bogged in a churn of crimson mud; the camp had […]
Sad Little Men
An extract from Richard Beard’s new memoir, Sad Little Men, published by Harvill Secker on 26 August 2021 1. Habits for Life ‘The manners and traditions learned by each class in childhood are not only very different but – this is the essential point – generally persist from birth to death.’ George Orwell, […]
The Difficult Father
An essay from Megan Dunn’s new memoir Things I Learned at Art School, published by Penguin Random House New Zealand 24 August 2021. The book can be ordered here. Dear Donald It’s hard to write this letter to you because you are dead. I only write letters to the dead these days. This is […]
Speed of Lightness
Speed of Lightness is the revised edition of Barrie Sherwood’s second novel Escape to Amsterdam and has just been published by Penguin Random House SEA. This anime of extracts from the novel has been illustrated by Saku and features music by Huey Daze and Hazy Year. It is narrated by Joe O’Connell of Beyond Ghibli, who also provides […]
A Life in 16 Films
The preface from A Life in 16 Films: How Cinema Made A Playwright by Steve Waters I defied the injunctions for one day only. I had a feeling that the experience of going to the cinema was about to vanish as the pandemic advanced. Poorly cleaned cinemas with recycled air seemed perfectly designed for […]
The Live Album
Two sonnets from The Live Album by Kat Payne Ware, published by Broken Sleep Books on 31 July 2021 TRANSPORTATION The fragility, juiciness, desirability and proper taste and smell of meat are the most important qualities of pork for the consumer. – Urszula Ostaszewska, ‘The impact of transport on the quality of pig meat’ […]
Intentionality
A prose poem by Graham Clifford, whose second full-length collection, In Charge of the Gun, was published by The Black Light Engine Room Press in May 2021 Intentionality All this meaning everywhere. And the history in things, how it’s just my hands and head that is not made and presented raw in this room […]
