As we are preparing to receive all the wonderful short stories in November, our whole office has gone quite ‘short story crazy’!
We couldn’t agree more with Guardian journalist Rose Clark who wrote:
“[Short stories] are able to suck you into another world as quickly as they spit you back out. They can have a beginning, a middle and an end, with characters that you’ll love and ones you’ll hate. They can make you laugh or cry, scared or shocked. Sometimes they can be even more powerful than a normal book, as their concentrated form will make you really think about what is being said.”
Selina, our brilliant brand manager has named her favourite short story as Veronika Decides To Die by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho.
In the story Veronika believes she has nothing to live for, although by most people’s standards it’s quite the opposite. After taking an overdose of sleeping pills she wakes up in the hospital where she is told as a result of her attempted suicide she has damaged her heart and she does not have long to live.
“I enjoyed reading how Veronika’s determination to die evolved in to a desire to live and being drawn in to her life whilst in the hospital and the thinking behind her decision to end her life”, Selina says.
“The story provokes thought about how we can react when a decision is made that is not of our choosing. The other characters also provide examples of how people with ordinary lives come to a point where they no-longer can cope, and how at the time society and the medical profession viewed and treated them.”
Do you have a favourite short story, and why does that particular story make you tick? Share your story on our Facebook page!
LFC is running a short story writing competition for primary pupils in celebration of the National Short Story Week. For more details and to find out how your school can take part, click here
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