Wendy Perriam

Five short stories by the novelist and short story writer Wendy Perriam.

Away Day: A short trip to the seaside brings about a second lease of life for the elderly Miss Feltham.

The Eighth Wonder of the World: A nature walk takes a turn for the worse when daring Tilly attempts to steal a rare botanical treasure- a solemn tale reflecting young child coping with the breakdown of her family.

Angelfish: A darkly humorous tale of a lodger’s murderous plans for the tropical fish that seem to dominate the residence, along with his dislike for the new guest.

Moving: A trip down to the basement leads to a wife’s difficult discovery of her husband’s other life during a routine home removal.

Thin Skin: To compensate for her thin, flaking skin, Daisy builds a wall up around her own private world, which she, rather unusually, shares with a family of mice.

About the Author

Like the plots of her novels, Wendy Perriam’s life has taken a few unexpected turns, including expulsion from her convent school for heresy, being told by doctors at the age of 21 that she wouldn’t live beyond 30, and a variety of offbeat jobs, from artist’s model to carnation-disbudder to starring role in a blue movie.

Wendy started writing at the age of 5, completing her first ‘novel’, A Pony At Last, on her 12th birthday. However, after the loss of her Catholic faith and serious illness in her twenties, she went through a period of silence and depression, only rallying a decade later.

Since then, she has written 18 novels and 7 short-story collections, which boldly mix sex, religion and humour, and have been acclaimed for their psychological insight and their power to disturb, divert and shock.

In 2013, Wendy was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Kingston University for her “services to literature and her contribution to reading pleasure”.