Cork Stories is a collection of contemporary short fiction set throughout Co Cork in Ireland, from the urban spaces to coastal towns and most rural corners, by writers who live in, or have some strong connection to, Cork. I love this concept for a collection, taking one place and viewing it through a variety of lenses, characters, and situations. The stories range in tone from the darkly humorous, with plenty of dynamic Cork dialogue, to the more sombre and quietly contemplative.

The collection opens with a bang with Anne O’Leary’s ‘The Cook and the Star’, about a local cook and an ageing visiting Hollywood celebrity, who build up a rapport. In Tadhg Coakley’s ‘A Pure Dote’ we see the crushing effects of early onset dementia on the families of those affected, but join in a heartwarming moment just as a Cork team is winning a match on TV. In Gráinne Murphy’s ‘Nothing Surer’ an old widower moves through his day and thinks of the past, waiting for a call from abroad on his late wife’s birthday. In Eileen O’Donoghue’s ‘His Shoes’ a couple struggle to come to terms with the past and the present as they prepare to send their son off to Garda training, but it’s the wrong son. In William Wall’s ‘The Face’ an older medical secretary goes out without her make-up one day but comes across someone in town with an alternative fix. In Marie Gethins’ ‘Noah Should Have Read Comics’ a family prepares, each in their own way, for the rising waters that are coming. In Sean Tanner’s ‘Black Dog Running’ our protagonist, who is feeling down, has an epiphany about the phenomenon of running. In Tina Pisco’s ‘Declan’s Sister’ a young man finds himself caught in a strange mix up with Declan’s sister, but no one can remember her name. In Mary Morrissy’s ‘Lost Property’ a woman finds herself isolated in a gleaming modern high-rise apartment, while she longs for her old home lost through her husband’s downfall.

These are voices that draw us in, stories that provide a vivid glimpse into a broad range of lives and moments, with Cork landmarks and haunts dotted throughout. As is the case with the best short stories, these capture some moment of profound realisation, change, connection or acceptance, reaching moments of insight, depth or a darkly humorous dive into the complexities of the human condition, all in just a short number of pages. The collection, with 18 stories in total, featuring both well established and newer voices, is edited by Cork-based writers Madeleine D’Arcy and Laura McKenna. Overall, this is an engaging and deeply enjoyable collection, with two maps at the back to give us a sweeping sense of where around Cork these stories have taken us.’

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Cork Stories is published by Doire Press.

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Writers featured in Cork Stories include: Kevin Barry, Tadhg Coakley, Danny Denton, Martina Evans, Marie Gethins, Danielle McLaughlin, Donal Moloney, Oonagh Montague, Mary Morrissy, Grainne Murphy, Jamie O’Connell, Mel O’Doherty, Eileen O’Donoghue, Anne O’Leary, Tina Pisco, Sean Tanner, William Wall and Fiona Whyte.