Mothers by Chris Power

£8.99 paperback, Faber & Faber

A skillful and sensitive debut collection of short stories, centering around characters who are at odds with their lives in different ways. Chris Power has a remarkable knack for capturing stories where what is unknowable about life is rendered as a tangible presence, alongside loneliness, desire, chaos and epiphany – making it hard to believe this is his first published book. Highly recommend!

Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenjah

£12.99 hardback, published by Riverrun

This mindblowing dystopian short story collection was written in response to the cruel prejudice of the US justice system and explores racism and capitalism in America. The prose is at once surreal, tender, brutal and full of wonder. It’s easy to see why this timely book is making waves..a must read. As Nana Kwame says himself, ‘I’m interested in the way we dehumanise one another, and in our capacity for good despite the insidious hatred and fear all around us. These stories were tough to write. And yet in that space of difficulty and fear, I find necessity and purpose.’

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