At 15:45 tomorrow my story ‘Island’ will be the Short Works afternoon reading on Radio 4. The story will of course be available to listen to on the BBC Sounds app afterwards.
Radio 4 has been a mainstay of my cultural life since the age of ten, and seeing my name in the Radio Times feels like a significant moment, so I hope everyone who listens to it enjoys the story!
‘Island’ had something of an interesting genesis. The story’s main character, Janet, was the protagonist of an earlier version of my current work-in-progress. As many of you will know by now, I tend to discard vast tracts of material in the course of writing a novel, but as I have always stressed, no part of that process is a waste of time. Janet, and ‘Island’, are proof of that. It’s such a thrill to know she is around still, that her life on the page continues.
My huge thanks to producer Eilidh McCreadie, who commissioned ‘Island’, and to Alexandra Mathie for her beautiful reading.