FAIRLIGHT MODERNS
Dancing in the Shallows
Isla moves to the Isle of Skye to escape her purposeless life. But as she learns more about her family, she must question whether family patterns can really be broken.
Small Wars in Madrid
Alone in his Madrid apartment and faced with the prospect of losing his family, David Aguilera confronts his conflicting Catholic and Jewish identities to reconnect with his wife and children.
The Old Haunts
A wistful coming-of-age story, painting a tender portrait of grief in all its complexities, set across rural Scotland and Edinburgh.
The Two-Tailed Snake
by Nod Ghosh
North-east India, 1945. Fourteen-year-old Joya doesn’t pay much attention to ‘political business’ – yet when her father disappears without a trace, Joya’s life falls apart.
A Good Year
by Polis Loizou
In this folklore-inspired tale, Polis Loizou tells the story of heavily pregnant Despo and her husband Loukas, as the kalikantzari begin to roam…
Voting Day
by Clare O’Dea
In this powerful novella, Clare O’Dea explores the 1959 Swiss suffrage referendum through the eyes of four very different Swiss women.
Blue Postcards
Set in Paris, this atmospheric tale delicately intertwines three connected narratives and timelines, interspersed with observations of the colour blue.
Taking Flight
by JT Torres
In this beautifully told drama of the bond between grandson and grandmother, JT Torres delicately explores the difficulties of dementia and mental ill health.
Missing Words
Set against the backdrop of the strikes in the 1980s, Missing Words is a heart-warming journey about self-discovery and the power of family ties.
Only About Love
by Debbi Voisey
In snapshots through time, Only About Love takes a sweeping loop around the life of Frank as he navigates courtship, marriage, fatherhood and illness.
Atlantic Winds
It’s 1970s Canada. the small island community of Bear Lake is awash with rumours of layoffs and wildcat strikes at the mill. When a tragic accident occurs at the mill, the whole community unites…
Minutes from the Miracle City
by Omar Sabbagh
Set during the last few days of Ramadan, Omar Sabbagh’s novella is a unique retelling of the virtuoso project that is Dubai.
Milton in Purgatory
by Edward Vass
Milton begins his day in Oxford, England. But after he is hit by a speeding car he ends up somewhere quite different…
The Therapist
In this bittersweet and hauntingly surreal tale, a couple finds the distance between them mirrored in a strange epidemic sweeping the globe.
The Nail House
Set in China, the novella explores morality and corruption. Lindon, an Australian project manager, has to make the tough decision between right and wrong, love and war.
Bottled Goods
Set in 1970s communist Romania, Sophie van Llewyn’s novella-in-flash draws upon magic realism to weave a tale of everyday troubles, that can’t be put down.
Travelling in the Dark
by Emma Timpany
Set in the wild, beautiful and unreliable landscape of southern New Zealand, Emma Timpany’s novella is an evocative story of a woman coming to terms with her past.
The Driveway Has Two Sides
On an East Coast island, full of tall pine moaning with sea gusts, Delilah moves into a cottage by the shore. Across the driveway lives a man who never goes out. Delilah knows he’s watching her too and she likes the look of him, but perhaps life is too complicated already…
There Are Things I Know
One day, during a school field trip, Pepper is kidnapped by a stranger and driven to rural Arkansas. The man, who calls himself ‘Uncle Dan’, claims that Pepper’s mother has died and they are to live together from now on – but the boy isn’t convinced.
Inside the Bone Box
Nicholas Anderton is a highly respected neurosurgeon at the top of his field. But behind the successful façade all is not well. Tormented by a toxic marriage and haunted by past mistakes, Anderton has been eating to forget. His wife, meanwhile, has turned to drink.
Share the Fairlight Moderns with your book club or writing circle using these reading and writing notes
***Please observe that these notes contain spoilers***
A Good Year
Voting Day
Blue Postcards
Taking Flight
Missing Words
Only About Love
Bottled Goods
Travelling in the Dark
The Driveway Has Two Sides
There Are Things I Know
Inside the Bone Box
Atlantic Winds
Minutes from the Miracle City
Milton in Purgatory
The Therapist
The Nail House