365: Stories

Description

Stories inform and shape us. We are all made of stories. But what do we make of them? In 2013, James Robertson wrote a story every day. Each was 365 words long. A year later, on a daily basis, the stories were published on the Five Dials website. Now the 365 stories are gathered in one volume. Some draw on elements of ancient myth and legend, others are outtakes from Scottish history and folklore; there are squibs and satires, songs and ballads in disguise, fairy tales, stories inspired by dreams or in the form of interviews, and personal memories and observations. Underpinning them all are vital questions- Who are we? What are we doing here? What happens next?

James Robertson was born in Scotland in 1958. He is the author of The Fanatic, Joseph Knight, The Testament of Gideon Mack, And the Land Lay Still, and The Professor of Truth. Joseph Knight won the Saltire Society Scottish Book of the Year and the Scottish Arts Council Book of the Year, The Testament of Gideon Mack was longlisted for the 2006 Man Booker Prize, and And the Land Lay Still won the Saltire Society Scottish Book of the Year. Robertson is also the author of four short story collections, most recently 365: Stories, five poetry collections and numerous children's books written in English and Scots. He runs the independent publishing house Kettillonia, and he is co-founder and general editor of the Scots language imprint Itchy Coo, which produces books in Scots for children and young adults. His forthcoming book, To Be Continued, will be published in August 2016 by Hamish Hamilton.

A masterclass in the ventriloquism of fiction . . . a fertile mind and a great generosity of ideas * Guardian * An anthology of possibility about what the short form can do -- Stuart Kelly * Scotsman * the sheer diversity on display. . . keeps us turning the pages and trawling the months. * National * There is a huge diversity of subject matter and form across these stories, demonstrating the Scottish novelist's wide-ranging eye, and there is also a lightness; a wink and a playful nod that perhaps Robertson doesn't get to display in his more serious, longer pieces of fiction. * Big Issue * If you're looking for a Christmas present that keeps on giving . . . or if you fancy this yourself and can drop huge hints in someone's ear, then I don't think you could go wrong with 365 * dovegreyreder * What can you say in a few words? Everything, it seems. 365 worlds pressed between two covers -- Ali Bowden * Scotsman * Perfectly crafted -- Neil Ascherson * Herald *