What do you think?
The BBC National Short Story Award 2010
Featuring the five short-listed stories for the BBC National Short Story Award, this collection brings together a high-caliber group of new and established British authors exploring human relationships at their most dysfunctional and yet sustaining. Splintered families, the persistence of love, the public versus the private, and the plight of the outsider provide recurring themes in this 2010 selection of works.
- GenresShort Stories
112 pages, Paperback
First published November 25, 2010
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Read
March 2, 2017just listened to Derek Jacobi read David Constsntine's short story Tea at the Midland which was a freebie on Audible.Winner of the 2010 BBC Short Story Award
February 21, 2016
Fine collection of short stories. Literary without being precious. Each distinct enough from the other, though the book forms a cohesive whole. The stand out for me was Butcher's Perfume, a story that would be strong in any collection.
June 23, 2024
Featuring the five short-listed stories for the BBC National Short Story Award, this collection brings together a high-caliber group of new and established British authors exploring human relationships at their most dysfunctional and yet sustaining. Splintered families, the persistence of love, the public versus the private, and the plight of the outsider provide recurring themes in this 2010 selection of works.
All of these stories are excellent. Well written and a great lesson for any write how to get a lot of story out of so few words.
All of these stories are excellent. Well written and a great lesson for any write how to get a lot of story out of so few words.
October 21, 2025
3.5
My first foray into the world of short stories.
I really enjoyed Helen Oyeyemi's story 'My Daughter the Racist' and I'll definitely need to give Sarah Hall's rich 'Butcher's Perfume' another read.
My first foray into the world of short stories.
I really enjoyed Helen Oyeyemi's story 'My Daughter the Racist' and I'll definitely need to give Sarah Hall's rich 'Butcher's Perfume' another read.
December 8, 2019
Hugh Quarshie read Aminatta Forna's short story 'Haywards Heath', Winner of the 2010 BBC Short Story Award. Listened to the audiobook through my Library's Borrowbox App.
July 17, 2012
A great selection of stories I think each one is really strong, normally there's one that brings down the collection for you but I thought each was strong in it's own way. Still not sure who won, but perhaps I should have read the introduction?
Tea at the Midland by David Constantine
This story reveals the relationship between a man and woman in a really nice unfolding way. We feel both of the emotions even though they are not 'explained' and the lady's inward thoughts that are of an intellectual basis but mirror her sadness and longing. Really nice soft development.
Haywards Heath by Aminatta Forna
I really loved this story, it's full of nostalgia and the sad unravelling truth of the present. The memory of the aged is a sad thing but some are happy in their delusion and that can be just as happy to watch. Two young lovers who meet again in old age but have completely different experiences of that.
Butcher's Perfume by Sarah Hall
This is a really beautiful told story about friendship. How it begins and how it strengthens, quite often because of something dark that happens between you. The tone is great and feels spot on with the pace as well. The little details build a really strong picture of a local family.
If it Keeps On Raining by Jon McGregor
A retold story full of tangents in a telling of someone else's stream of consciousness. Strange in it's delivery not knowing who either person is as there's no real characterisation. A man stood by the river contemplating life and all the small things in it, with undertones of huge events and that have happened in his life.
My Daughter the Racist by Helen Oyeyemi
A story about a mother and daughter's relationship with a soldier. A nice flow and interesting thoughts that a mother teaches a very strong minded child when your wants and urges go against the mindset of everyone around you in your local area.
Favourite Story = Haywards Heath
Least Favourite Story = If it Keeps on Raining
Tea at the Midland by David Constantine
This story reveals the relationship between a man and woman in a really nice unfolding way. We feel both of the emotions even though they are not 'explained' and the lady's inward thoughts that are of an intellectual basis but mirror her sadness and longing. Really nice soft development.
Haywards Heath by Aminatta Forna
I really loved this story, it's full of nostalgia and the sad unravelling truth of the present. The memory of the aged is a sad thing but some are happy in their delusion and that can be just as happy to watch. Two young lovers who meet again in old age but have completely different experiences of that.
Butcher's Perfume by Sarah Hall
This is a really beautiful told story about friendship. How it begins and how it strengthens, quite often because of something dark that happens between you. The tone is great and feels spot on with the pace as well. The little details build a really strong picture of a local family.
If it Keeps On Raining by Jon McGregor
A retold story full of tangents in a telling of someone else's stream of consciousness. Strange in it's delivery not knowing who either person is as there's no real characterisation. A man stood by the river contemplating life and all the small things in it, with undertones of huge events and that have happened in his life.
My Daughter the Racist by Helen Oyeyemi
A story about a mother and daughter's relationship with a soldier. A nice flow and interesting thoughts that a mother teaches a very strong minded child when your wants and urges go against the mindset of everyone around you in your local area.
Favourite Story = Haywards Heath
Least Favourite Story = If it Keeps on Raining
February 21, 2016
A lovely collection which has something to say to us in each story, and although there are different voices in different settings, there is a literary quality to them all which while holding it together as a collection also at times drains it of its life and novelty. The stories are best read separately lest they merge into a human river of literary prose. From the length of sentences to choice of vocabulary and syntax, the rhythm of the pieces follow a safe and steady pattern, apart from Butcher's Perfume which rises above the others dancing to its own song, as the story of any teenager must.
Tea at Midland examines our relationship with art and each other and the lost joy if we were to judge both by our worst imaginings of their folly.
Haywards Heath speaks of love and loss and the survival skills and guilt of those who have lost each other.
Butcher's Perfume, the coming of age of a lonely adolescent finding her place in the alien but comforting culture of horses, violence and a family empire.
If it Keeps On Raining follows the story of a river and its people, told by a man who can see change coming and wants to warn us all.
My Daughter the Racist, balances our need to protect and educate our children while also, letting them be free to find out for themselves. How freedom can be in the form of what others can learn from us and take with them into the world.
Tea at Midland examines our relationship with art and each other and the lost joy if we were to judge both by our worst imaginings of their folly.
Haywards Heath speaks of love and loss and the survival skills and guilt of those who have lost each other.
Butcher's Perfume, the coming of age of a lonely adolescent finding her place in the alien but comforting culture of horses, violence and a family empire.
If it Keeps On Raining follows the story of a river and its people, told by a man who can see change coming and wants to warn us all.
My Daughter the Racist, balances our need to protect and educate our children while also, letting them be free to find out for themselves. How freedom can be in the form of what others can learn from us and take with them into the world.
February 3, 2011
The story by Sarah Hall "Butcher's Perfume" is outstanding. Way better than any of the others, although I did also enjoy the mood of "Tea at the Midland" by David Constantine. Anyway, am very pleased to have discovered Sarah Hall.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews