Jo Bratten Elizabeth Taylor is performing a one woman show in the shopping centre, a small dinner theatre sort of thing – tables and chairs, trays of drinks – and she’s up on the stage, playing every female character in every play ever written. It’s only me in the audience which is embarrassing so in the interval I walk the shopping … Continue reading One Woman Show

            Rhys Owain Williams My streetlamped hometown stitchedbetween unlit hills like the Umbro logo.An LED diamond pointing a vertextowards the unseen star-shined sea. High above this curling valley’s floor,the estate I grew up on is growing.New builds built around the vacant quarry’s lip,furnished now with bald hallway bulbs for children in pyjamas, adults awaiting taxis.It’s a … Continue reading Murmuration

            Laura Jane Lee latecomers should report to the Guardhouse. all latecomers should then go straight to their fate. girls must wait quietly and bide their time with story books while waiting. girls must go quickly and quietly to lives held in other rooms. wants and wishes should be cleaned between periods. girls must not be … Continue reading ( ) girls’ school – school rules

            Yanita Georgieva It was winter again.From the terrace which wasbarely a terrace I could hear the riverdutifully soaping her hands.The sunshower was drippingincessantly so I got upall annoyed to turn it offfrowning with extra vigour and subjecting myselfto the opposite of a cosmetic procedure.I was looking intently at a bouquet of radishes.From that angle I … Continue reading Pamplemousse

            Michael Conley Perhaps next time we could meet at the trampoline placeon the industrial estate? They let grown adults in now.I want to hold hands with you mid-air, watch your hairfan out like coral fronds when I recall it later in slow motion. Or else at the UK National Hot Dog Eating Competitionegging on the … Continue reading Walking You To Your Car After I Puked Up My Lasagne In Front Of You On Our First Date

            Rachel Curzon Looking directly at the sun is a hazardous practice. You are not advised to look directly at the sun, even for short periods. Looking directly at the sun for just a few seconds can damage the delicate structure of the eye. Once, a woman in Connecticut held out an X-ray film and looked … Continue reading Risk Assessment

            Jacob Mckibbin we used to visit sylviaevery wednesday evening.my dad would bringa different DVD every week.stopped when sylvia said the flat had gone dark & the white noise on the t.v screenhad told her she was going to die.sylvia was not well in waysthat a child could not understand. my schizophrenic uncle lived in the spare room of her … Continue reading sylvia

            Iona Lee There was this woman who wouldcome into the bookshop where I usedto work, and we would talk, and eventuallybecame something like friends – thoughI couldn’t tell you anything about her now,just that she was an artist, and had a studiedmelancholia about her. She told methat she kept many lovers, and alsothat she had … Continue reading Two Truths and a Lie

            Sarah Rosengarten As a kid I had a hamster that we made fun of for his massive ballsHe didn’t know how much we laughed at himHe had a stroke Half the hamster’s body would dragthe other half across the dry beddingI came home from schooland found his open mouthpressed against the glassLong front teeth like … Continue reading Jackie O

            Nathaniel King Some people say the forbidden applewould be easy to spot.Some people say it wouldn’thave that pesticide sheen.Some people say the animals in the gardenwould avoid it like the plague.Some people arguethat the animals in paradisewould have no conception of plague,just as plague victimshave no conception of paradise.Some people are plagued by eternal doubts.Some … Continue reading Forbidden Apples