Clare Wigfall on why short stories are wonderful

"I love short stories. I love to read them. I love to write them. I have known that junkie craving one can feel as you work your way through a brilliant collection, aching for the next fifteen minute/half hour slot of time when you can sit down and read a story through in one sitting, hitting the high with its conclusion and feeling the effects long after you’ve left the story behind.

I do honestly believe that short stories, in their small, compact way, make the world a more beautiful place. Imagine a world without the perfectly-crafted gems of Truman Capote, Alice Munro, Raymond Carver, Claire Keegan, or J.D. Salinger, for example. Short stories might be an endangered species, but I’ve been extremely fortunate to find a publisher with enough faith to publish mine, and I’m proud to have done my bit towards their survival in adding one more collection to the shelves."

Clare Wigfall

Clare Wigfall's debut collection of short stories, 'The
Loudest Sound an Nothing (2007).

Source: 'Story Thoughts' on www.theshortstory.org, July 2007