With what I’ve learnt from my work at The Word Factory, I have recently started Scratch Books — a small press dedicated to the craft of the short story.
Our first book, Reverse Engineering goes on sale 17 March — you can buy copies directly from the website, as well as in all good bookshops and evil bookshops. In an innovative twist on the standard short story anthology, Reverse Engineering brings together seven short stories and interviews with each story’s author.
The book features bestselling and prize-winning authors: Jessie Greengrass, Sarah Hall, Jon McGregor, Irenosen Okojie, Joseph O’Neill, Chris Power and Mahreen Sohail.
Colin Barrett has called it: “An anthology to inspire and encourage anyone who reads it,” and Eley Williams says: “Reverse Engineering offers insights into not only writers’ sparks of inspiration but also their stories’ long fuses and more slow-burning processes. A delightful, rousing resource.”
To celebrate the launch of the book, the five UK-based authors are coming together for an event in the London Library to discuss their writing of the short form, in what Chris Power has described: “the Avengers Infinity War of short story writers.”
It is both an ‘in person’ and online event, and at time of writing there are some tickets still available.
The launch of Scratch Books has come at a time of greater interest in the short story. A recent article in the Observer hears from some of the brightest stars in its demi-monde to explain why the world at the moment has never needed the short story more.
