New Voices in British Short Fiction by Women

In this chapter, I discuss some of the newer female short story writers to have emerged recently in Britain. Situating their work within the context of contemporary literature culture, I outline the importance of small press publication, Creative Writing courses, literary awards and social media in promoting the short story and nurturing the careers of its authors. I illustrate my arguments by using collections by four writers as case studies. These are Sweet Home by Carys Bray (2012), Diving Belles by Lucy Wood (2012), The Redemption of Galen Pike by Carys Davies (2014) and Light Box by K.J. Orr (2016). Through a close reading of the stories, I identify the distinctive strategies adopted by these writers and their contribution to the ongoig development of the genre within the context of British society.