John Baker’s Blog

There’s a joiner here today, replacing a large double-glazed unit which recently died. Nice guy, name of Kevin. I try to keep out of the way, not wanting to get under his feet. But the house isn’t that big that we can miss each other entirely.
I give him a lift with the old unit, down [...]

This 2006 film brings together a collection of short stories by more than twenty different directors. The link is the city of Paris. And in Paris we meet lovers, divorcees, tourists, lovers, vampires, parents, children, gays, lovers, murder, madness, tight parking spaces, Oscar Wilde, lovers, terminal illness, a couple of clowns, Tour Eiffel, dreams galore, [...]

Are You She? is a collection of short stories edited by Lesley Glaister and published by Tindal Street Press. The slim volume contains two stories from each of four women.
The opening story, Lasiren by Mandy Sutter introduces us to a small child who needs the help of a mermaid to conquer her fear of water. [...]

Short stories are not something I’d choose to read instead of novels - I always have at least one of those on the go - but they are something I like to read alongside novels because the two narrative forms offer such different pleasures. When reading a novel I often want to become engrossed, to [...]