This winter I’ve been writing a collection of short stories to take a break from writing a novel.
Wave-Maker is a series inspired by the story of a competitor in the 1969 solo non-stop single-handed round the world yacht race (The Sunday Times Golden Globe), his name was Donald Crowhurst. After nearly 240 days alone at sea without radio communication, and having attempted to cheat to get home without forfeiting the family home he had staked on his success, Crowhurst disappeared. His yacht was found floating in the Atlantic only weeks before the national press, and his family waiting in Teignmouth, expected him to appear on the horizon. He had suffered a breakdown, but his death remains a mystery.
The Wave-Maker stories have themes of loss, separation, isolation, guilt and individual perspective. I am in the process of sending these stories out for competition/publication.
Meanwhile huge thanks to film-maker Ben Dowden, who filmed me reading one of the stories this weekend in Bristol.