Five by Five

As part of our celebrations of the centenary of some British Women getting the vote, a showcase for five authors Arachne Press has published previously in anthologies, giving a wider perspective on their writing with five stories each. The collection as a whole has a tendency towards fantasy and magical realism, with unforgiving reality tempered with warmth in Guatemala in Cassandra Passarelli's (Liberty Tales) stories of overweight truckers, pregnant teenagers, pilgrimages, stolen children and stolen toys.

Katy Darby's (London Lies, Stations, Shortest Day, Longest Night) SF and historical stories - future where hygiene is everything, an historical murder, a spectacularly disturbing bedtime story, an inconvenient 'miracle' and an illicit meeting.

Joan Taylor-Rowan's (London Lies, Lover's Lies, Stations) acid humour and modern desperation as characters make new lives 'Down From London', or as stowaways in a central London Department store.

Sarah James' (Longest Day, Shortest Night; Vindication) elliptical poet's sensibility of Elegant twists and restraint brought to flash fiction.

Helen Morris' (Liberty Tales, Solstice Shorts) ability to get to the heart of a story, with wide-ranging emotional rollercoasters of trolls outwitted, drunken boat trips, world domination and the heart ripped out of a family to make you laugh out loud or weep inconsolably.

Each of these writers has featured in Arachne Press anthologies. We liked their work so much we asked them to send more. This is the result.