As part of the run up to our celebration of our fifth anniversary we are highlighting our first five books, all available for £5 each from our shop
Also available to bona fide libraries and book charities free please contact us to enquire.
Number Two: Stations short stories inspired by the Overground Line
Stations Cover. Image copyright Gail Brodholt
Stations really was inspired by the Overground. At a meeting of the writing group I belong to, WooA, held in the tiny Broca cafe opposite Brockley Station, a conversation about how brilliant the Overground was, despite MANY personal sleepless nights while the work was carried out, turned into a – let’s write about the Overground, let’s take a station each, which turned into wouldn’t this make a great book, and where can we get the rest of the stories? An open call and many, many stories later, Stations was born.
From tigers in a South London suburb to retired Victorian police inspectors investigating train based thefts, from collectors of poets at Shadwell to life-changing decisions in Canonbury, by way of an art installation that defies the boundaries of a gallery,
Stations takes a sideways look through the windows of the Overground train, at life as it is, or might be, lived beside the rails: quirky, humorous and sometimes horrifying.
Twenty-four new short stories in homage to the East and South London section of the Overground Line: a story for every station from New Cross, Crystal Palace and West Croydon at the Southern extremes of the line, all the way to Highbury & Islington.
Ideal for the commuting reader, Stations makes an excellent souvenir of a visit to London and a perfect gift for lovers of London everywhere.
Londoneer Review ‘Stations’ is certainly an eclectic group of stories, but I enjoyed every one – well-written and engaging stuff. I imagine that it would be ideal for dipping in and out of while you’re passing the time between Kensal Rise and Clapham Junction…
Londonist review There’s a surprising amount of emotional depth … much of it bittersweet and yearning, particularly the further down the line we go. Sadness shot through with flashes of beauty: perhaps that’s a perfect metaphor for south east London … We’ll never look at Penge West the same way again.
…Caroline Hardman’s ‘Bloody Marys and a bowl of Pho’ (Hoxton) is a modern-day, urban take on the vampire narratives so current at the moment. It is well-written and funny. ‘Platform Zero’ (Haggerston) by Michael Trimmer also offers a quirky version of another, familiar theme – that of the parallel universe. ‘The Beetle’ by Ellie Stewart (Wapping) is also well-paced and moving in its portrayal of a broken relationship. Peter Morgan’s ‘Mr Forest Hill Station’ (Forest Hill) also stands out due to its tender depiction of the bond between strangers, meeting occasionally in the big city.
We had such fun planning this one, complete with a photo shoot on the Overground featuring several of the authors and family members
Peter Morgan & Caroline Hardman talk about their stories for Stations
We launched Stations at the Brunel Museum, right beside the tunnel under the Thames used by the Overground, which features in Cherry Potts’ Rotherhithe story, A Place of Departures
Ellie Stewart’s beetle goes for a walk in Wapping. The Beetle (audio)
Our first musical collaboration with Summer all Year Long, a train version of Sweet Thames…
We had technical difficulties at the launch so there isn’t much video for there
Mass Signing at London Transport Museum.
We had an aim to read at a venue within a mile of at least a third of the stations, we actually (eventually) managed almost all of them, and some much further afield – here are a few snap shots.
Norwood: Rosalind, Michael, Cherry, Jackie and Andrew
Shoreditch: Wendy, Katy, Bartle, Caroline Rob
Ilkley fringe: Louise and Peter C
There are many more. shove Stations video into the search at the top of the page to find them!
COME TO THE PARTY! 8th September. We will be reading from Stations
