Description

LONGLISTED FOR THE EDGE HILL SHORT STORY PRIZE

From a comic mastermind comes this brilliant collection of stories

Three teenagers believe they are witches.
A woman defaces a local billboard.
A bored landlord tries to influence his son’s best friend.
A cul-de-sac WhatsApp group discusses eggs at length.
A heavily pregnant woman finds a way to time travel and a girl discovers joy on a stolen bicycle . . .

Each tale paints a life in miniature and offers an escape chute from the mayhem of modern life.

Publisher Review

Josie Long’s first collection reveals a natural gift with a frank and poignant tale; teenage experience, community WhatsApp groups and broken family units are picked apart with a wry cynicism at the weirdness and cruelty of life . . . an approachable debut full of heart and hope * * Observer * * Josie Long can REALLY write. Read these stories NOW — DAWN FRENCH Her writing is miraculous. A dazzling debut — JOANNA LUMLEY Josie’s stories are like her comedy – beautifully observed, strange, good-hearted, unsettling and truly funny. Read them immediately — A. L. KENNEDY I loved this short story collection. Funny, poignant, daft, and occasionally even hilariously cynical — FRANKIE BOYLE Josie’s writing is everything I love about her stand-up: sharp and smart, hilarious and incisive, infused with love for the world and the complicated people who live in it. A joy to read — MONICA HEISEY Josie Long is my favourite comedian and when reading these stories, all the cynicism I’ve acquired gets replaced by the enthusiasm I felt the first time I saw her live — JAMES ACASTER Josie’s stories are tender, devastating and hilarious, often all at the same time. Opening up this book is like skinny-dipping in the brain of a genius – I never wanted to come up for air — SOPHIE DUKER No-one manages to mix the profound with the funny quite like Josie Long. She’s not just the voice of a generation, she’s it’s head and heart too. Her writing is exquisite, her performances invigorating and inspirational. I could not love this woman more. She’s just the best — BRIDGET CHRISTIE I knew this book would be funny and relatable. I didn’t know it would also be angry, heartbreaking and knife-sharp. I love these stories — KIRSTY LOGAN