Mark Swain

• Mar-2013
• / Literary
• 

Abandoned by her husband, Brenda uses her divorce money to buy the hairdressers where she works, in a small South Wales town. She worries about her son. Him coming to work in the salon seemed a logical move but he is shy and has a lazy eye. He is...

• Mar-2013
• / General Fiction
• 

*The story 'Special Treatment' was winner of The Kinglake Modern Short Story Prize in 2010.Mark Swain describes these 12 short stories as: short excursions into the lives of others. In each story we find ourselves transported - th...

• Nov-2013
• / General Fiction
• 

Bob, an elderly supplier of restaurant tableware is regularly taunted by a spiteful young restaurant manager. Other staff delight in the amusing fracas created, including Thierry, the restaurant owner. One day Bob snaps and causes a scene in front of...

• Nov-2013
• / Thriller
• 

Michael is imprisoned at a young age for the manslaughter of his employer, a lonely gentleman who enjoyed Michael's childlike view of life. Michael has mild learning difficulties and was raised in a children's home. Unable to explain to the court tha...

• Nov-2013
• / Christian
• 

A traditional Moroccan tale of a widowed baker who cherishes the donkey that was his dead wife's dowry. The donkey, however, like his master, is despised by his old friends in the village due to hardship and envy. Their one consolation is found in th...

• Nov-2013
• / General Fiction
• 

Jim and Carmen, a couple, taking the Trans-Siberian Express train from China to Germany, meet a tragic German businessman in a Beijing bar and are warned of the pernicious border guards en-route who confiscate food and valuables. On the train Jim dev...

• Nov-2013
• / General Fiction
• 

An teenage boy secures a summer job helping a characterful gang of telecoms workers to erect telegraph poles in the wilds of Scotland. Directing traffic by day, the young man enjoys the banter and antics of the men, but prefers the solitude of sleepi...

• Nov-2013
• / Psychological Suspense
• 

Two friends meet regularly in a pub they used to frequent as pupils of a local boarding school. Here the conversation usually centres around old anecdotes which they endlessly repeat and amuse themselves over. Some of these involve the misfortune of ...

• Nov-2013
• / General Fiction
• 

Two competitive Englishmen go cycling together in France. Each attempts to out-do the other on the challenging hills as they pass through rolling countryside and villages. Stopping for water in one village they are helped by an odd woman. One man wit...

• Nov-2013
• / Psychological Suspense
• 

A victim of a workplace accident, Dave lives alone. His Postlady's daily visit is one of the highlights of an otherwise dull life. One day a woman from an accident claims company call-centre telephones him to offer help making a personal injury claim...

• Jun-2014
• / General Fiction
• 

A tragi-comic short story that examines the delicate balance between success and failure.Pat Carmichael was a charismatic and talented footballer with a promising career in the British Premiership. With rugged good looks a Porsche, a pretty wife and ...

• Nov-2014
• / General Fiction
• 

An illustrated book suitable for dogs, and humans of all ages. Mark Swain describes these eighteen stories as "brief excursions into the canine world." The stories are aimed at people engaging with their dogs. And yes, that does mean reading...

• Dec-2014
• / General Fiction
• 

A sparkling collection of short stories that entrance us with telling glimpses and powerful insights into people’s lives. In so little precious time we feel we know these characters and what drives them â€" their secrets, their desires, their fears...