cover image NW15: The Anthology of New Writing

NW15: The Anthology of New Writing

, . . Granta/British Council, $19.95 (316pp) ISBN 978-1-86207-932-8

In this often fascinating collection of 60 short works of fiction, nonfiction and poetry, editors Evaristo (Lara ) and Gee (The Burning Book ) collect the best new writing in English of the past year. The authors are for the most part British or Britain-based, though there is a strong emphasis on international themes and writers; some of the most intriguing pieces deal with Mideastern topics and other current geopolitical issues. The featured authors range from this year's Nobel laureate, Doris Lessing, to the relatively obscure, including a number of young poets unknown outside of U.K. poetry circles. Some of the highlights of this diverse group include a strongly tactile excerpt from Kerri Sakamoto's novel The Mongolian Spot , Wayne Burrows's ominous but beautiful poem “Under Surveillance” and the urgent, first-person short story “At the Institute with KM” by Helen Dunmore. Additionally, Julian Barnes offers a masterful essay on the creation of characters in fiction, Robert Ewing paints a propulsive but grim portrait of a drugged partygoer in Sydney, Australia, and Rahat Kurd, a Muslim, presents a refreshing and literary account of her choice to cover her hair in Western society. (Feb.)