Image: © Courtesy of Manchester City Galleries What’s it like to be Irene Hedges? Or Linda Jones or Dawn Cooper, or any of the others who are not like you; who are normal? Do they know how lucky they are? You have no idea which piece is missing from your clockwork, what has made you […]
Shaped

Image: © Courtesy of Manchester City Galleries i. The Bra You were nine the first time your shape displeased you. The bra had been a present on Christmas. Absurd. You’d wanted a doll. The bra was white and smelled like a grandmother’s house. You were less than enthused when your mum showed you how to […]
Spilt Milk

Image: © Courtesy of Manchester City Galleries Charlie had noticed her at once on walking into the hotel’s breakfast room that morning. She stood by the generous bow window that faced out to sea, in an attitude of restful contemplation that he found charming. And somehow the next moment there he was, standing by her […]
Our Life Together

Image: © Courtesy of Manchester City Galleries I don’t know when it started. I, for one, have never been that interested but it’s happened that gradually, over the years, as our life together has become ever more uneventful so our desire to discuss politics has increased. You could argue that it’s not surprising given the […]
Great Potential (trans. Beth Fowler)

Image: © Courtesy of Manchester City Galleries Sometimes, Amelia hides behind the railings and stands there watching her classmates swarm out and launch themselves at the mothers waiting for them at home time with sandwiches wrapped in tinfoil, donuts for the lucky ones, and maybe even a Bollycao for the chosen few. Amelia likes to […]
Signs

Image: © Courtesy of Manchester City Galleries It began the way of all rumours. Coming from nowhere, permeating the air like smoke then gaining form and substance from repetition until it became truth, or at least Fact. Someone had said it in the marketplace, or a prophet had come down from the hills. Then there […]