Sophie Lewis
Small-Town Gothic
Within the world of short stories, the evocative genre of the tale is experiencing a revival. From new translations of Ovid and versions of Chaucer to Angela Carter’s modern ‘fairy’ stories, tales are suddenly fashionable. With two acclaimed novels already behind him (including the Booker-shortlisted The Underground Man, 1997), Mick Jackson now rides this wave with assurance, helped along by comparisons to cult figures Roald Dahl, Tim Burton, and Edward Gorey.
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'Robert Silvers, editor of the New York Review of Books, once asked Isaiah Berlin who his ideal dinner guest would be. Without hesitation Berlin exclaimed, ‘William James!’'
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Hilary Mantel reviewing Margaret Atwood: a #BookerPrize double-header from the archive.
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