Short Story resources for reading and writing

I have just finished working with the most wonderful group of writers on a Reading and Writing Short Stories course with the University of Kent. Writers we looked at included Janice Galloway, Jamaica Kincaid, David Foster Wallace, Tobias Wolf, Helen Simpson and so many more. Teaching a course like this is the chance for me to push my favourite writers! And to sit reading short stories for a day and call it work.

Below is a copy of the sheet I gave out at the end of the course, which I hope some of you may find useful. Do feel free to add more resources in the comments. This is just the start of a happy exploration for us all.

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Websites and newsletters to find out more about the short story:

• https://shortstops.info/

• https://theshortstory.co.uk/resources/

• https://commapress.co.uk/resources/

Monthly visual prompt for writing:

• https://visualverse.org/

Fairy stories and folk tales:

• http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/

• and on twitter – #folklorethursday

List of magazines publishing short stories:

• https://www.neonbooks.org.uk/big-list-literary-magazines/

• And if in London, it’s worth visiting the National Poetry Library in the Royal Festival Hall (has all the literary magazines free to read): https://www.nationalpoetrylibrary.org.uk/

For women’s magazine writing:

• https://womagwriter.blogspot.com/

For short story workshops/readings/prompts:

• http://www.thewordfactory.tv/site/

To read short stories:

• https://bookriot.com/2019/03/19/free-short-stories-online/

• http://eastoftheweb.com/

And to listen to short stories:

• https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/fiction

Finding new short story writers:

• https://electricliterature.com/electric-lits-15-best-short-story-collections-of-2018/

• https://www.standard.co.uk/shopping/esbest/books-dvds/best-new-short-story-collections-a3879791.html

Each one of the links above will lead you to many more, so have fun exploring!

“Short stories are tiny windows into other worlds and other minds and other dreams. They are journeys you can make to the far side of the universe and still be back in time for dinner.”
― Neil Gaiman