‘Being Various’ Best Short Story Collections of 2019
in The Independent
Great news for ‘Being Various: New Irish Short Stories’ edited by Lucy Caldwell, published by Faber & Faber which is one of the 10 Best Short Story Collections of 2019 according to The Independent.
“Our roundup features the best short story collections released so far this year. We were looking for works which felt of the moment but whose shine wouldn’t fade years from now – writing we felt could be described as modern classics.”
And what’s more, they said: “if you are looking for variety – or a range of voices and themes in one book, we’d suggest plumping for “Being Various” in which all of the stories are truly outstanding pieces of fiction in completely different ways.’
Brilliant news for editor Lucy Caldwell in particular.
I was delighted to read I was one of only a handful of stories they picked out alongside Yan Ge, Daniell McLaughlin, Louise O’Neill and Sally Rooney.
“Each story jolts you far from the previous one. “The Swimmers” (written by me) is a queasy, uncomfortable read given that the narrator is the young, naïve son of a paedophile who drives young boys to their swimming lessons in a smelly old bus.”
The Good Son 