Cornwall In Short: A Collection of Cornish Writing

“Quality storytelling from terrific writers. The collection has ghosts and storms, love challenged and rewarded, triumphs and heartaches, ancient Cornish traditions, vivid characters, wild seas and lands and skies. I jumped from one story to the next, happy for each adventure.”––Martin Goodman, BMA Book award winning author of Suffer & Survive and On Bended Knees

"What a joy to read a collection of short stories with such freshness and sense of adventure!"--Mick Jackson, Booker and Whitbread shortlisted author of The Underground Man and Ten Sorry Tales

"A compelling collection in which each story captures something different about the dynamic interaction between people and places." --Professor Lynne Pearce, author of Drivetime and Romance Writing

"This brilliantly diverse collection beckons the reader back and forth over the Tamar, in behind closed doors and down unfamiliar street passages, over to fenced-off mineshafts and shallow waters where loss is confronted and the tantalising lure of escapism awaits." --Aspier Magazine

On the rocks at Carne, flotsam washes in alongside memories of lost love. A family picnic at Lostwithiel leads to the rediscovery of ancient Cornish language stories. In The Three Ferrets at St Ives, a weary barmaid dreams of sailing away on a yacht with a dubious stranger, and a man in search of love is tricked by the Queen of Fey at Rough Tor.

This captivating anthology showcases Cornwall’s most exciting contemporary writers, both established and emerging. This is an amazing range of new short stories and non-fiction that makes Cornwall feel fresh and unexpected; writing that engages with folklore, history, and landscape in an emotionally compelling way, celebrating a love of Cornish history and wildlife. Moving through time and space with each story, you’ll find contemporary retellings of folklore, compelling memoirs, and flash fictions that brim with tension and discovery.

This anthology has been generously supported by the Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch Memorial Fund Award.

Authors in this Anthology: Rebecca Johnson Bista, Anastasia Gammon, Tim Hannigan, Kate Horsley, Clare Howdle, Adrian Markle, Tim Martindale, P. T. McAllister, Rob Magnuson Smith, Mark Plummer, Katherine Stansfield, Jackie Taylor, Karen Taylor, Shelley Trower, Emma Timpany, Tom Vowler, Ella Walsworth-Bell, Elaine Ruth White and Becky Wildman.

Kate Horsley's first novel, The Monster's Wife, was shortlisted for the Scottish First Book of the Year Award. A subsequent novel, The American Girl, was published by William Morrow. Both books have been optioned for film. Her short stories have appeared in a number of anthologies and magazines, such as Strix, Storyglossia, Momaya, Needle, & Cake, and placed in competitions including Bath, Bournemouth, Bridport, Frogmore, and Oxford Flash Fiction. She is the co-editor of Inkfish Magazine.

P.T. McAllister's writing blurs the boundary between novel and short story collection. He was shortlisted in the Hammond House International Literary Prize and the Ironclad Creative Awards in 2023. His short stories and poems have appeared online, in print journals and in numerous anthologies and his debut book is slated for publication. Peter studied English Literature at The University of Cambridge, was awarded a Distinction for his MA in Creative Writing and is currently working towards his PhD at Exeter University. He is the editor and co-founder of Inkfish Magazine and a committee member for the Penzance Literary Festival. He was the Inaugural Liskeard Library Writer in Residence.