Too Many Magpies - Softcover

Baines, Elizabeth

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1844717216 ISBN 13: 9781844717217

Publisher: Salt Publishing, 2009

Synopsis

A charismatic stranger comes into the life of a young mother fearing for her children in a polluted and changing world. He seems to offer a special kind of power... A haunting and timely novel about our hidden desires, and our rational and irrational fears in a newly precarious environment.

About this title

About the Author:

Elizabeth Baines' grandmother claimed to be a descendent of the family of the Welsh bard Will Hopkin. The fact that the truth of this is unknown was not enough to deter Elizabeth from deciding at an early age to be a writer in his footsteps. Born in Bridgend, South Wales, to a Welsh mother and an Irish father, she studied English at Bangor, and for several years was a teacher of English in schools in Scotland and England. She is the prizewinning author of prose fiction and plays, with an established career as an acclaimed radio dramatist. With Ailsa Cox, she founded and edited the acclaimed short-story magazine Metropolitan (1992-97). Her collection of short stories, Balancing on the Edge of the World, was published by Salt in 2007 and pronounced 'a stunning debut collection' (The Short Review). In 2004 she took up occasional acting by performing one of her own stage monologues for the 24:7 Theatre Festival. She lives in Manchester. She writes the well-regarded Fictionbitch blog (http: //fictionbitch.blogspot.com) and her own author blog (http: //elizabethbaines.blogspot.com)

Review:

On "Balancing on the Edge of the World' A stunning debut collection--Melissa Lee-Houghton "The Short Review "

Each story strikes to the heart.--Sue Guiney

Elizabeth Baines is a superb stylist - a latter-day fabulist in fact - and her writing reminded me of Chekhov's in that it was spare and paid attention to the subtleties of everyday experience.--Clare Dudman "Keeper of the Snails "

On "Balancing on the Edge of the World' Impressive collection... She finds and plucks out important and remarkable moments from the otherwise ordinary. It is quite a skill.--Scott Pack "Me and My Big Mouth "

'One of those books I had to force myself to put down just so the experience of reading it wouldn't end.--Tania Hershman

Elizabeth Baines has led me through a myriad of seemingly ordinary moments and invested them with extraordinary power It is the microscopic quality of Elizabeth Baines' eye that makes each and every one of these stories so special.--Dovegreyreader

An innovative and committed writer of distinctly pure talent.--The Short Review

About this edition

• Publisher: Salt Publishing
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1844717216
• ISBN 13: 9781844717217
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 144