Foolscap

2022
Part of the anthology Cree for the Rhys Davies Award, Foolscap is the story of the meeting of M and B. It is pared back, anecdotal, a mix of intimacy, joy, hope and despair. Written from lived experience, it explores the impact of deception on and in their lives and foregrounds the specific landscape in which they exist. They lie and lie together.

The story is the basis of A Room Above A Shop, a longer work in progress. The title comes from the paper size; Foolscap, 216x343mm, or `oficio`, is half of one sheet. A written agreement - mirrored exactly, folded, signed and torn. The ripped edge proved both pieces true and equal. The story is also in two, both at 1987 words long. The year it is set. Small things.

Available from www.parthianbooks.com
ISBN: 9781914595233 (1914595238)