The Fiction Shelf

A brave narrative poem that deals honestly with issues of fundamentalism, placing them – vitally – in a human context. The poetic voice, like the protagonist – and like his brother who we never hear – is nervous but determined. An important, modern piece of writing.

A short lyric poem that reads like a warning, grown of bitter experiences. The meter and rhyme combine to enhance the sharpness of the tight wording and punctuate the meaning.

A narrative, almost didactic poem whose wandering descriptions match excellently the exotic backdrop and brooding plot.

A short image with an inconsequential end that reflects the futility of the situation. The honest talk reads like an open‐ended discussion on violence and sex. The untempered language tells effectively of an unremarkable happening in an average setting. Effective and brutal.

Childish absent‐mindedness and the lack of a reason, incomprehensible to adult ears, form the basis of this oddly‐touching and humorous short story. A quirky tale whose peculiar subject is matched with an out‐the‐ordinary narrative that remains engaging and entertaining.

A poem that revels in its disorder. A memory written as furiously as the time lived. Brief and sharp, this work is beautiful in its honesty.

A short, deeply pensive exploration of the self and how an individual perceives it. The prose, complex by their brevity, are steeped with meaning so that the piece feels almost poetic.

Ostensibly a comedy that finds humour in the brief moments of light in a working day, but, like all good comedy, there is a twinge of tragedy in this sensitively‐crafted and wholly‐enjoyable work about a regular visitor to a coffee shop.

Frustration is drawn throughout this poem. There’s no attempt at an answer, nor does the work preach, but disappointment with the world is conveyed by stark and direct words.

A meandering, pensive poem whose structure matches perfectly with the direction of the voice’s thoughts. In few words, it deals with youth and old age and challenges us to think on what is between.