MR Ian McAuley

London Stone MR Ian McAuley

This compelling collection of short stories will intrigue anyone who wants to read finely crafted fiction which explores the great themes of memory, loss and love. Set against the backdrop of London life in the 1980s and early 1990s, the stories here are diverse in subject matter but all knitted together in the way they represent the turning points - big and small - in people's lives. A child is entranced with the amazing glass ship his uncle has fashioned from a wreck fetched from a shipbreaker's yard; a former skinhead has a life-changing vision when attacked by a gang of youths; a sports-hating boy enjoys a moment of triumph in a rugby match; a smug barrister suffers a rare defeat in court; a short walk turns into the experience of a lifetime; a normally passive neighbour takes exception to some racist graffiti; a tortuous dinner party leads to a new lease of life for one of the guests; and in the title story, a cockney street preacher reveals the mystical secrets of the London Stone. The play 'Enigma' finishes the collection. Set in London in 1985, this is a moving drama about the confrontation between an ageing workman, a student and a Polish veteran from the Second World War, when a long-held secret is revealed. In turn, fantastical, gritty and moving, these stories are essential reading for anyone interested in contemporary writing.