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By Irenosen Okojie. A mysterious tailor makes fantastic frocks for his clients. Read more
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BBC National Short Story Award 2018
By Irenosen Okojie. A mysterious tailor makes fantastic frocks for his clients.
Stay the Course by Dima Alzayat
A walk in the park brings back some uncomfortable memories.
Daphne by Lucy Caldwell
The starlings have disappeared from Belfast's sky.
Love Is Mortifying by Gina Donnelly
A late-night call from a wrong number leads to a conversation with a stranger.
Kicha and the Unicorn
Kicha and the Unicorn. New short fiction by Hanan Issa. Read by Nina Wadia.
She Named Us
As a teenager, Jimbo Doyle was a bass player in a punk band destined for fame.
Acousmatic by Manon Steffan Ros
New short fiction from Manon Steffan Ros. Read by Sara McGaughey.
Mister Derek by Alice Malseed
A young woman returns to London to meet an old friend.
Madwoman's Milk by Louise Kennedy
From the award-winning author of Treses, a new story set on Ireland's northwest coast.
Joan Loves Ice Cream by Tara West
A woman in her seventies surprises her children by marrying an ice cream shop.
Goosegrass by Emma Kane
A mother can’t help feeling left behind when her son announces his engagement.
Boy by Clare Watson
A mother struggles to understand her autistic son.
The Bubble Bursts
The Bubble Bursts by Alex Preston. In the future, a man lives through multiple pandemics.
Something Borrowed
A story from Karen Campbell about love, choice and the delicate bonds of family.
Hearing Aids by Roddy Doyle
Misunderstandings and miscommunications on a car journey in Dublin.
The Centaur's Spectacles
A specially commissioned story from the award-winning Katherine Rundell.
Mudlarks
By Sophie Haydock. A junior doctor takes up mudlarking on London's River Thames.
Dancing Ganesh
A frustrated climber seeks enlightenment in Kathmandu in a short work from Alan Spence.
A Man Who Used to Have Friends by João Morais
An original short story from João Morais, read by Dean Rehman.
The Portal in Lisbon
By Baret Magarian. An academic has a strange experience in Portugal.
Coal Country Beauty Queen by Anna Bailey
A new story from NSSA-shortlisted writer Anna Bailey.
My Grandmother's Degree
A woman looks back on a formative relationship in a new piece from Leila Aboulela.
The Language of Flowers
By Elaine Chiew. Willow and Geoff can’t read each other’s signals.
Minor Disturbances by Cherise Saywell
In this specially written story there is a misunderstanding at an out of town play centre.
Byres Road
By Rhiannon Tise. After 30 years away, a woman meets up with an old boyfriend.
The Death of Wildflowers
A short story from Scottish writer Helen McClory marking the primal shift of the seasons.
Stew Woman
By Hannah Vincent. Stew’s wife is planning an very unusual dinner for him.
When Love Sucks by Naomi Wood
In a new story by Naomi Wood a woman turns to an AI dating coach to mend her broken heart.
Paraphernalia by Jane Fraser
A stowaway threatens the tranquillity of a family outing in the Gower. By Jane Fraser
At Heart Centre by Bernie McGill
It’s been years since Stella went to yoga. 58 years, to be exact.
A Thoroughly Modern Woman by Bita Taghavi
A moving and funny portrayal of a woman getting to grips with change.
