Description

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A stunning collection of short stories for fans of Ali Smith, Kate Atkinson, and Katherine Mansfield

Two traveling musicians attempt to come to terms with a nightmare scenario at home; restless teenagers run riot during lockdown, with disastrous consequences; Albert Einstein's reputation grows, as does his absence as a father; a cantankerous ninety-nine year old contributes to the chaos of a night ward.

An accomplished novelist and short-story writer, Rose’s long-celebrated mastery of the form allows her to draw through lines of loss and longing, uncertainty and hope. She conjures the essence of a situation with insight, economy and dark wit, and vividly presents an uncompromising view of the world where everyone is searching but few find what they hope for. Each story vividly creates the inner world of a compelling, yet disparate cast of characters, and these brief glimpses into the lives of others leave a lasting afterglow.
 

About the Author

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Dilys Rose lives in Edinburgh and is a novelist, short story writer and poet. She has published twelve books, most recently Unspeakable (Freight, 2017), a fact-based historical novel and a poetry pamphlet, Stone the Crows (Mariscat Press, 2020). Sea Fret is her sixth collection of short stories.

Praise For…

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"The stories have a steely rectitude and an uncompromising determination to face down humiliation and inequality...economical, moral and compassionate."—The Guardian, on Red Tides

"The author's eye is so sharp, her hearing so acute, her imagination so lively. This is a very good collection indeed. Even some of those who say they don’t care for short story collections might well set their prejudice aside and find much to delight them."—The Scotsman

"Many of Rose's characters face impossible choices, but her unity of vision does not lead to a narrow or repetitive collection. On the contrary, the stories are wonderfully far-ranging."—Margot Livesey, Times Literary Supplement, on War Dolls