Andy Miller had a busy job in publishing, a growing family and no time at all for reading. Or so he kept telling himself. But, no matter how busy or tired he was, something kept niggling at him. Books. Books he’d always wanted to read. Books he’d lied about having read. Books that ... Read More...
Fiction
For people who like books, science, culture and intelligent chat, one of the finest radio shows out there is Little Atoms. An independent interview series that goes out every Wednesday at 11am on cult London station, Resonance 104.4fm (also home to Frank Key’s Hooting Yard,) Little Atoms is also a weekly podcast that ... Read More...
Today, horror fiction and groovy ska music combine in a tale about Toots and his missing Maytals... Toots clattered up to the post office counter, sore perplexed. “Hello Toots, what can I do for you today?” said the friendly postmaster. “I am sore perplexed,” said Toots, “I have lost my Maytals.” The postmaster was ... Read More...
The Lost Leonardo, which appears in the short story collection The Terminal Beach (available to buy for 1p) is Seamus Sweeney's favourite J G Ballard story, despite (or perhaps because of) its being the most unBallardian. Here he explains why... Clive James did not care much for Jean Paul Sartre, although ... Read More...
This week, strange happenings down by the filthy old canal... I was out sashaying along the towpath of the filthy old canal the other morning when I was accosted by an ACRONYM – an Asbo-Carrying Ruffian Of Narrow Yob Mentality. He growled something unintelligible at me in his barbaric innit-sprache, which ... Read More...
The ever-industrious Mr Key has lately embarked upon a complete retelling of The Bible (including the Apocrypha) in the Hooting Yard style. Here is an exclusive extract... “How now, Holofernes,” said Judith. Holofernes put down his sack of grubbings on the floor and leaned to kiss the back of Judith’s hand. “Your moustache ... Read More...
A very spooky tale for Friday the thirteenth... Listen, tiny ones. It is Friday the thirteenth, so if you are good I will take you on an outing. I will take you to the old balsa wood factory on the edge of the big blue lake. Every Friday the thirteenth at ... Read More...
In this exclusive extract from Slightly Foxed's quarterly magazine, Andrew Hall examines the unusual literary career of J.L. Carr, a 'back-bedroom publisher of large maps and small books who, in old age, unexpectedly wrote six novels'... In July 1967 the schoolmaster and part-time novelist J. L. Carr took two years’ leave ... Read More...
Today, some classic British noir... “Get carter!” That was my instruction, that morning, from the overseer. But there were so many carters passing along the lane, driving their carts to, or back from, the market square in the village, that I had no idea which carter to get. Nor did I have ... Read More...
Nige discovers the extraordinary short stories of 'the American Chekhov'... I must admit I had never heard of the American short story writer Peter Taylor until, last Christmas, Mrs N gave me a volume of his - The Old Forest and Other Stories (available for a penny, and indeed a cent on Amazon) - ... Read More...
