"WHAT I THINK THIS TEACHES US IS THAT DISTRACTION, GOSSIP, FRAGMENTS OF EXPERIENCE, DIGRESSIONS AND BYWAYS ARE THE MAKINGS OF FICTION..."

AILSA COX

"EVERY TIME I ANSWER A QUESTION I GLANCE OUT THE WINDOW TO CHECK THE SNOW, AND I SEE THAT THERE'S EXACTLY THE SAME AMOUNT, ALWAYS. I BELIEVE THAT SPECIAL EMPLOYEES OF THE TOWN ARE HIRED TO WORK THROUGH THE NIGHT, SPREADING SNOW SO THAT IT REMAINS AT THE SAME HEIGHT FOR SIX MONTHS."

STEVEN MILLHAUSER

"YOU CAN LOOK AT YOUR STORY, TEST EVERY SEAM OF ITS WORLD, AND SEE THAT YOU'VE MADE A BEAUTIFUL THING."

ALISON MACLEOD

"STORIES ARE A BASIC HUMAN NEED. NOT IN THE SENSE THAT FOOD IS, WE DON'T NEED THEM TO KEEP OUR HEARTS BEATING. BUT IN THE SENSE THAT AS LONG AS OUR HEARTS ARE BEATING WE NEED TO HEAR THEM, AND THERE WILL BE PEOPLE CALLED UPON TO MAKE THEM."

PHILLIP O'CEALLAIGH

"LIKE THOSE COMPRESSED JAPANESE PAPER FLOWERS YOU DROP INTO A GLASS OF WATER AND WATCH UNFURL AND BLOOM."

MICHÈLE ROBERTS

"THE STORY OCCUPIES THAT PLACE BETWEEN WAKING AND DREAMING, WHICH GIVES IT AN ESPECIALLY HYPNOTIC PRESENCE"

GRAHAM MORT

"A TRUE PLAINNESS RESONATES DIFFERENTLY FROM THE KIND OF LANGUAGE THAT DRAWS ATTENTION TO ITSELF"

CHARLES LAMBERT

"A RESONANT SHORT STORY IS A BEAUTIFUL AND EXCITING THING"

ALISON MOORE