Clare Reddaway: Which eight short stories would you take to your desert island?

A good short story can deliver an adrenaline punch similar to a strong espresso or a spicy ginger shot. They are perfectly suited to busy contemporary life. In China, short fiction is called ‘smoke-long’, as it can be read in the time it takes to smoke a cigarette. But stories are much more than just ‘short’. They illuminate the world. The stories that Clare has chosen are wise and enlightening, imaginative and surprising. They might be political or transgressive, heart-breaking or hilarious. They will make you think and make you feel. They are all worth your time.

Join Clare for a fun gallop through her desert island choices, so you can start compiling a list of your own.

Clare Reddaway’s award-winning stories and plays are widely published, broadcast and performed. Her debut novel, Dancing in the Shallows, was published in 2024.