The Book of Newcastle: A City in Short Fiction
Edited by Angela Readman and Zoe Turner
Comma Press is a publisher based in Manchester which specialises in short story collections, either in anthology form or single author books. A founding member of the Northern Fiction Alliance, their catalogue of publications so far is impressive; and I was blown away by the fabulous collection they issued of M. John Harrison’s stories, “You Should Come With Me Now”, which I reviewed back in December 2017 and which ended up being one of my books of that year.
One of the most intriguing strands of their catalogue is the “Reading the City” collections, focusing on a specific city from anywhere around the world – from Tehran to Birmingham, from Cairo to Leeds, the range is wide and fascinating. So when I saw that Comma was issuing a collection of tales themed around Newcastle-upon-Tyne, I was very keen indeed to read it. Why? you might be asking? What’s your interest in/connection with Newcastle? And that’s a good question!
Newcastle is a city I’ve only visited once, longer ago than I care to acknowledge when my BFF H. was doing her art degree at the university. I visited during a freezing February and stayed for several days; and I can’t remember a lot about it apart from the fact that it snowed, I nearly got frostbite from wearing unsuitable footwear, we visited the Watch House (of Robert Westall fame), saw a performance by a performance artist, existed on a diet of stotties (yum!) and saw Cabaret Voltaire live in a very small club and they were magnificent! So yeah, it was a great visit, and although I’ve never been back I have happy memories of the city. Additionally, I recently discovered the Morden Tower poets who are a real joy; and of course Ellen Wilkinson, who has a strong connection with the area. Since I’m often drawn to the north, I’m obviously going to have to pay the city a visit again at some point, especially as it seems to have had quite a cultural rebirth of late!
Anyways – on to the fiction! “The Book of Newcastle” has its roots in a 2004 chapbook from Comma called “Newcastle Stories” and some of the pieces from the earlier publication have transferred to the new book. The latter collects together ten short stories by a range of writers, and it’s to my detriment that I’ve never read any of them before – because they’re obviously mighty talented! The stories cover all manner of topics – coping with a dreary day job by dropping into fantasy; negotiating a re-encounter with an ex-lover and his pregnant new partner; facing up to a future without a dying parent; the complexities of female friendship and how lives can diverge; and smoking (nor not being able to any more!) plus the decline of libraries. One particularly memorable work was “Thunder Thursday on Pemberton Grove” by J.A. Mensah, which explores the intersections in the lives of the people living uneasily side by side in that street when heavy rains cause floods and overflowing drains. “Magpies” by Alison Readman is a dark, allegorical look at losing touch with your teenagers when the dangerous outside world is tempting them. And “The Here and Now” by Margaret Wilkinson is a wonderful piece about the blurring of the lines between past and present; in a city like Newcastle, with a long and varied heritage, I guess there are always reminders of what’s gone before.
“The Book of Newcastle” is a stunning collection of writing, and there’s not a dud in here; each story is clever, memorable and moving; each spoke to me strongly. And of course running through all of them is the thread of the city itself; a former industrial centre, it’s had to reinvent itself over and over again, and that’s never without its problems. The Town Moor, the green heart of the city, is a vivid presence, as is the Tyne and its bridge. However, one theme which recurred and resonated was that of the Tyneside Flats, Victorian housing which is still in existence in the city and provides an almost communal living space. A fact which is relevant is that they consist of a row of dwellings with a joint loft space, and this really struck a chord with me; not only did my late mother-in-law live in a terrace with such a loft, but it’s also an important element in C.S. Lewis’s “The Magician’s Nephew”, and I was obsessed with the Narnia books as a child. “Loftboy”, a darkly humourous entry in the book, relies heavily on this element! The Tyneside Flats almost seem like an additional character in the stories, and I must admit that when I finished the book I felt as if I’d been *living* in Newcastle for the duration, alongside all of the very memorable protagonists.
I suppose it’s the measure of a really good book when you get to the end to find you wish there was more and you want to just go on reading and reading; and I felt like that when I finished “The Book of Newcastle”. These are wonderful stories which will stay with me; vivid settings full of real characters dealing with everyday life, the past, the future and hardest of all, the present. I could easily have written a post on each of the stories, which is testament to just how good they are; but instead I’ll just encourage you to seek out this (and any of the other City books) from Comma. On the evidence of “The Book of Newcastle”, they’ll all be very much worth reading! 😀(The stories are all so good that I feel a roll-call of the authors is necessary! So take a bow – Jessica Andrews, Julia Darling, Crista Ermiya, Chrissie Glazebrook,. J.A. Mensah, Sean O’Brien, Angela Readman, Glynis Reed, Degna Stone and Margaret Wilkinson. )
Review book kindly provided by Comma Press, for which many thanks!! 😀
MarinaSofia
Jan 24, 2020 @ 07:06:36
Come to Newcastle Noir (1-3 May)! I went there ladt year for that occasion and fell in love with the city. Going again this year.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Jan 24, 2020 @ 11:39:48
Don’t tempt me… Alas, working in a school makes getting time off in term time almost impossible…. 😦
MarinaSofia
Jan 24, 2020 @ 13:26:48
You could come for the weekend – Sat and Sun!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Jan 24, 2020 @ 14:17:33
Mmmmmm – I will have to check dates/commitments….
MarinaSofia
Jan 24, 2020 @ 15:07:07
Will it help if I tell you I will be there presenting my translation of a book?
kaggsysbookishramblings
Jan 24, 2020 @ 15:08:41
That’s very tempting…. Mr. Kaggsy can’t always be left alone too long, alas, but I shall have a think…
heavenali
Jan 24, 2020 @ 13:14:59
I have seen these Comma Press books on social media. I must say I was tempted by the Birmingham one. Newcastle is somewhere I have only been fleetingly when on holiday years ago in the North East. Not a city I know well at all, but I can imagine what a wealth of stories there must be, and these do sound good.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Jan 24, 2020 @ 14:21:46
Yes, I think they appear online a lot, and they are rather wonderful. I thought the Birmingham one might well appeal to you and Liz! 😀
Caroline
Jan 24, 2020 @ 15:14:37
This sounds so good. I love anthologies dedicated to a city or region. There are quite a few crime anthologies following that principle but not that many others I know of. With the exception of those dedicated to big cities like Paris, London, New York . . .
kaggsysbookishramblings
Jan 24, 2020 @ 15:52:59
Me too! I’ve read several of the OUP ones which do tend to look at big cities around the world, and they’re very good. However, the Comma books seem to choose some interesting and less usual cities, which is very interesting… ;D
Jonathan
Jan 24, 2020 @ 17:28:19
I must admit I’d normally pass over such books but you make it sound really good. I lived in Newcastle for a few years and really enjoyed living there. I haven’t been back since but I often thin of taking a trip back.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Jan 24, 2020 @ 19:56:38
It’s a superb collection, and all the stories are modern ones, so a fairly contemporary view of the city. I really enjoyed it – obvs! ;D
Liz Dexter
Jan 25, 2020 @ 21:34:26
That sounds fascinating reading! Of course Paul Magrs’ Phoenix Court novels are set in the North-West … coming up on my magrsathon next month …
kaggsysbookishramblings
Jan 26, 2020 @ 10:47:35
The north certainly has a lot going for it! Look forward to following your Magrsathon! :DD (that’s a very difficult word to type….)
TravellinPenguin
Jan 25, 2020 @ 23:51:24
I like the idea of stories from different cities. It just really appeals. I see a collection there , haha. I’m going to look up the Comma site. 🤠🐧
kaggsysbookishramblings
Jan 26, 2020 @ 10:45:02
It does, and there are some wonderful collections out there. Comma has a really wide range, and OUP’s City Tales collections are good too – I’ve reviewed several here and on Shiny New Books! 😀
madamebibilophile
Jan 26, 2020 @ 13:58:38
This sounds such a strong collection. I’ve never been to Newcastle but I’d like to visit. Lovely to see Julia Darling included in the collection – I thought she was such a talent and such a pity she died so young.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Jan 26, 2020 @ 15:29:13
It’s an excellent collection – much recommended! And as you say such a shame that Darling died young – she’s not the only author to be featured posthumously and it’s so sad that such talented writers should leave us early. 😦
Jane
Jan 26, 2020 @ 16:07:07
Fantastic, thank you I must look them up, sounds a great idea!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Jan 26, 2020 @ 16:43:09
There are some fascinating sounding collections – happy hunting! 😀
buriedinprint
Feb 06, 2020 @ 16:07:38
Ahh, this sounds just wonderful. I’ve checked out their page for this series and I would love to have them all to travel through! (It would also fit perfectly with my Here and Elsewhere reading project for this year, inspired by the cities in my new calendar.) It looks as though we do get the odd collection from them in our library system but, as with that other one you’ve got the event for (aiyiyi, what is that imprint again?!) they are published by other small/indie presses here instead. All short stories though: right up my proverbial street!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Feb 06, 2020 @ 16:20:07
They all sound marvellous, don’t they? And if this one is any guide, quality stories. I hope you can track down some of them…
FitzCarraldo Editions is what you’re trying to recall! 😀 And I hope you can also track down some of their titles, even if from other publishers. That would count, and they’re great books! 😀
buriedinprint
Feb 06, 2020 @ 18:28:06
Yes! I requested four from the library the other day: two are now en route (the others have holds, but borrowers can suspend their holds and allow others to move ahead in the line even while their position remains outwardly in the queue, so sometimes things arrive sooner than expected). I tried to choose the actual imprint – but, if not, I’m glad you’ll still “allow” them! 🙂
kaggsysbookishramblings
Feb 06, 2020 @ 19:58:08
Excellent! Even if you can’t get the actual imprint, you’re still reading the work so I’m glad you’ll be joining us! 😀
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