The sky was gold streaks and white streaks, an expensive look, stormy. Diagonals ruled. Under the streaks came blue woodland in bar shapes, sliced up by firebreaks. Somewhere there my brother Ray lived."


As Rivers Flow

Assumin'," she adds between kisses, "you will be lookin' your best as we get outta here. I don't want us goin' someplace and you arrivin' like a flower."


Call It Tender

Father said he would put his kettle on. Shuffling to the kitchen he picked up the phone. Put it down. Came back and sat down; wondered why no water boiled."


As Rivers Flow

Miss Heidi said I could write in my diary Miss Heidi introduced me to sex, there was a broom cupboard on the third floor and we were to go there straight away and we did."


The Most Serene Republic

Your time roaming is over, no more wild praries, no lullaby in the bushes not far from Kenwood, no viola in the corner."


even the butterfly must endure the storm

News & Events

News

International Literature Festival Dublin, reading at launch of The Stinging Fly.
Work in Best British Short Stories 2023 and latest Cutleaf Reader (US).

2024
Fourth collection of short fiction (Confingo). Fictions due in Gutter (Scotland) and Works Progress (US).

 

"His work is subtle and nuanced and often innovative in form." — Nicholas Royle, White Spines, 2021

"I loved these stories." — Kate Pullinger

"Beguiling" — The Guardian

"often witty and playful ...  the short story is not only alive but being reinvigorated in excitingly diverse ways" — The Times

"John Saul is one of the most original of contemporary UK writers. No one else writes like him, and that means he’s always interesting to read." — UK Lit Mag Review.



To date 140 short fictions in paying publications.

Each publishing four or more pieces of work:

Serpent's Tail, London Magazine, Westerly (Australia), Confingo, Warwick Review, Forge, Grain (Canada), Ambit, Island (Australia), Stand, Panurge, Iron.

 

 

Events

2023

Dublin 20 May
International Literature Festival Dublin
Reading at launch of The Stinging Fly
25th anniversary issue


2018

London 30 January
Reading at launch of Ambit 231

2016

Woodbridge 29 August
Art & Music Festival

London 19 July
Reading at launch of Ambit 225

2015

Norwich 18 August
Reading at launch of Lighthouse 9

2014

London September
Saatchi Gallery
King's Road SW3 4RY
Reading to music by Jan Pulsford

London 16 November 5.30pm
WriteIdea Festival
Whitechapel
Reading with music by Jan Pulsford

Woodbridge 9 August
Art & Music Festival

Felixstowe 28 June
Felixstowe Book Festival

London 4 April
National Portrait Gallery

Martlesham 6 March

2013

Woodbridge
Browsers Bookshop
Tuesday 8 October
7.00 pm
Launch of 4th collection of short stories
with Jan Pulsford

Ipswich
Ip-Lit festival Hub reading
Thursday 3 October
3.30 pm
Ipswich Town Hall
Cornhill

Felixstowe
Felixstowe Book Festival, Saturday 15 June
Orwell Hotel 7.00-8.00 pm
johnsaul@100: reading from 100 stories
with Jan Pulsford

 

 

[More]
2012

Woodbridge
Browsers Bookshop, Tuesday 9 October
7.00-8.30 pm
johnsaul@100: reading from among 100 stories
Browsers tel. 01394 388 890

 




[More]
2011

Oxford
Keble Arts Week, 15 February
Reading from Call It Tender and The Most Serene Republic

2010

London
British Library, 28 October
Reading from The Most Serene Republic at launch of Read International anthology It Started with a Book

Cambridge
The Cambridge Punter, 28 January
Ten Years of Salt Publishing

2009

Woodbridge
Browsers Bookshop, 24 November
Celebrating the short story: reading from stories by Richard Yates, Donald Barthelme, Jackie Kay, Julio Cortázar, Grace Paley and Guy de Maupassant. Talk and discussion: what makes a good short story?

Woodbridge
Browsers Bookshop, 25 June
Launch of As Rivers Flow

2008

Hamburg
English Speaking Union, 29 October
Reading from Call It Tender and The Most Serene Republic

Woodbridge
Browsers Bookshop, 9 May
Launch of The Most Serene Republic

2007

London
Holborn, The Bountiful Cow, 18 June
Salt/Ambit joint event
Reading from Call It Tender

Woodbridge
Browsers Bookshop, 1 June
Launch of Call It Tender