Rather like letter writing, or music on vinyl, the death of the short story seems to be constantly anticipated. ‘Oh, people don’t read short stories,’ it is said, in publishing circles, or by magazine editors. ‘The days of the short story are numbered.’ Well, if this volume is anything to go by, the short story, on the contrary, has a very healthy future.
The short story is in the DNA of crime fiction. One only has to glance at the eminent history of the genre to see that short stories were absolutely central to the work of some of our greatest crime writers. There is the work of Conan Doyle, of course, but also the likes of Allingham, Christie, Chesterton and Simenon all knew that some tales demand the brevity and elegance that only a short story can give.
This CWA Anthology continues that proud tradition. Since our foundation in 1953, the nature of crime writing has evolved and broadened, the characterization ever richer, the story-telling more exploratory, experimental, surprising. The genre continues to be popular because people love being told a proper story. A reader reaching for a crime story knows that they will be given a page-turning narrative and a real resolution.
And the popularity of the short form of our genre reflects that. A crime short story can be writ large or small. It can describe the culmination of a lifetime in one moment of change; or, it can be a little tale of neat resolution. It can chart unimaginable evil, or quiet homicide, or just a dull day in a copper’s life. It can talk of death, of love, of vengeance. It can describe psychological torment, or the orderly processes of a detective’s puzzle-solving. Sometimes it doesn’t even need to have a crime.
The CWA Anthology is always an opportunity to showcase the huge range of talent within the genre and the writers represented here are no exception. Some are familiar names, some are people who have never contributed before; some British, some from overseas. As a collection of work it proves the continued importance of short stories, an importance which I am sure will continue to grow, not only in print form, but also within the proliferations of web-based and electronic forms, so that a bite-sized chunk of narrative is just the thing for a short train journey, or a moment between meetings.
I am delighted to introduce this collection and to celebrate the work of the featured authors. I also wish to thank, once again, our publishers, Severn House, and our wonderful editor, Martin Edwards. And as even a cursory dipping-in will demonstrate, the crime short story is in robust form, and all set to continue the rich tradition of the genre.
Alison Joseph
CWA Chair