For six days this week, new stories from acclaimed Birmingham (UK) based author, Alan Beard. Alan has published two story collections, Taking Doreen Out of the Sky (Picador, 1999) and You Don’t Have to Say (Tindal Street Press, 2010). Numerous stories and flash fiction have appeared in magazines and anthologies, in the UK, USA and Canada including Malahat Review, London Magazine, Best British Short Stories (Salt), most recently in Digbeth Stories (Floodgate 2023) and Thursday Nights (Tindal Street Fiction Group, 2023). Alan is Tom Gallon award winner; and is currently finishing off a third collection.
GONE
I look in corners and doorways for traces I want to warn her, attend to her, help her. I used to wonder when sitting with my sighing mother and farting siblings whether she too would be watching this unfunny sitcom in some other part of the city. Of course she wouldn’t she’d be down some pub being the light and life of the gathered drinkers; she’d be in some sort of sexual congress; she’d be roaring away to music. On rainy days when the sky descends she’d be singing, she’d be going somewhere; she would be oblivious.
© 2024, Alan Beard
essentials
Beard. An intro to Six Days with Alan Beard→
Six Day with Alan Beard: Wants to Get High→
Six Day with Alan Beard: Too Many Bags→
Six Day with Alan Beard: Slightly→
Six Day with Alan Beard: Gone→
Six Day with Alan Beard: Riot→
Six Day with Alan Beard: Whatwastherethematterwithher?→
Alan Beard on X formerly known as Twitter→
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