Granta 170: Winners

by Thomas Meaney

It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game. Any schoolchild can smell the rat in the adage. Everybody knows a game is not worth watching unless the players are trying to win - unless someone is willing to risk the high tackle, smash the serve, steal the base, or throw the knock-out punch.

The winter issue of Granta explores how ideas about winning and competition suffuse modern society. We return to the magazine's tradition of sports writing. Articles include Nico Walker on the rise and fall of American football - from Jim Thorpe to Deion Sanders; Clare Bucknell on the history of tennis; and Declan Ryan's report from a boxing match between British heavyweights Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois. Fiction includes very short stories from Caryl Churchill and Kathryn Scanlan; two stories set in hospitals by Benjamin Nugent and K Patrick; Mircea Cartarescu on an archipelago infested with angels, and Edward Salem on nights out in the West Bank.


Photography from the Israeli bombing of Beirut by Magnum photographer Myriam Boulos, from the Isle of Wight by Tereza Cervenov�, and of the U.S. military's global adventures by veteran photographer An-My L�.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies

237 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 13, 2025

Reviews

[Paul Dembina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of their best in my opinion. The subtitle "Winners" only really applies to a few contrasting pieces:

"Real Tennis" - This was good, a brief introduction to the history and social mores of "real" tennis. Although I was already aware of this precursor to the modern sport the article added lots of interesting info

"Mucker Play" - The dirty business that went on (still goes on?) behind the scenes during the evolution of what has become the modern NFL game. Quite good, although (being a Brit) I was bit lost when it came to the technicalities of tactics

"The Hurt Business" - My favourite article. Also focusing on the background machinations to get a boxer up to the top echelons of the sport without exposing them too soon to a dangerous opponent

I didn't find the 3 photo-essays particularly interesting.

The stories were also a little underwhelming

[Eilidh Fyfe · Rating 4 out of 5]

the female Indian wrestlers and anthony Joshua pieces were the standouts

[Ben Breen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unusually for me, non-fiction the star of the show: real tennis, mucker play and the hurt business all fascinating insights into sports I don't know much about. I'm not a sports fan, so this was surprising to me.

On more familiar ground some strong fiction - Nugent, Patrick, Salem.

Contents less related to the title than in most recent Granta issues. I'm not opposed to this - better to have the most interesting writing than the most relevant to an abstract theme.

[Chris]

I enjoyed the pieces in this issue. The history of football (US football) and the forward pass was very interesting. “Real Tennis” was interesting in a similar way tracing the contemporary game of tennis to a type of competition very different. Though I’m not a fan of boxing, the story “The Hurt Business” was an engaging look at the strategies of professional boxing. Since I haven’t found opportunity to read other works by K Patrick, I liked reading “Appendix”. The photo essays were intriguing, but again, in this digital edition, suffers from the tiny reproductions. Mircea Cărtărescu’s The Dance was poetic, mythical.

[Victoria & David Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Granta continues to be my go to "magazine of new writing".
Having said that, this is an average, not great, issue.
Highlights include "Mucker Play", a short history of american football by Nico Walker and 'The Hurt Business', a look at heavyweight boxing by Declan Ryan. Fiction is well represented by Mircea Cartarescu and Benjamin Nugent.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat to my surprise, considering my disinterest in sport, a far higher proportion of the offerings in this issue were much enjoyed - greater insight or some other interpretation (not always obvious) of 'winner'.

[Marcus · Rating 3 out of 5]

As often recently with Granta (and I've read each one since #71), a bit hit and miss. I particularly enjoyed Clare Bucknell and Benjamin Nugent. Only about half the pieces seemed to have anything to do with the theme Winners!

[Derek Shin · Rating 3 out of 5]

- Introduction by Thomas Meaney was beautiful, except for the fact he didn't mention Roger Angell.
- Round One by Benjamin Nugent made me think about moral hubris.
- The Hurt Business by Declan Ryan weaved the narratives around the boxing business, the profiles of the two boxers, and their fight.

[Kaltmamsell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ja, das Thema Sport kann man also literarisch attraktiv behandeln, allerdings war dieser Band eher dünn – ich hätte gern mehr davon gehabt.

[Johan Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mijn voorkeuren:
- Round One van Benjamin Nugent
- Appendix van K Patrick

[David Pitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked Cartarescu's piece best of all. Really liked Real Tennis. Declan Ryan's essay on boxing was pretty interesting too. Aside from that, none of the stories really hit for me. An-My Le's photos were really striking. Did not like the other photography.

[Ray Quirolgico · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting collection of works about victories and triumphs in emotions, love, competitions, and relationships.

[Nora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool. Artsy. Sports. I liked the photos. Not so used to reading fiction but these days but I enjoyed it nevertheless. Bought this for $1 at grey matter books and it lives on my mantle!

[Vladimir Ghinculov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Issue 170 (winter 2025) of Granta has as its theme sports writing. I don't usually enjoy sports so all the essays fell flat except for the one about real tennis that I found interesting. Some fiction added to the pluses of this issue: A Good Day by Caryl Churchill and Round One by Benjamin Nugent.

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Synopses are spoiler-free.

This is a collection of literary short stories published in a UK magazine, along with one essay I read. After reading about 4 or 5 issues, I find this to be the least impressive. While I rated one story with 4 stars, the rest received lower scores. Overall, this issue lacks standout content.

1. A Good Day by Caryl Churchill - A saccharine depiction of an ideal news day that everyone experiences simultaneously. (2/5)

2. Round One by Benjamin Nugent - A story about a couple where the wife regularly watches porn, and the husband has never engaged with it, as they undergo IVF. An intriguing exploration of role reversal and related stresses. (4/5)

3. The Isle of Wight is So Nice - A brief essay about the Isle of Wight, revealing aspects I was unaware of. It made me want to visit. (3/5)

4. Appendix by K. Patrick - Set near surgery, a female surgeon quickly enters the men's restroom where her intern is filming under his scrubs. The intern claims it's just a photo. The incident influences their surgical work and sparks personal reflection. An engaging story with meaningful implications. (3/5)

5. Troubadour by Edward Salem - Lesbians and straight men gather at a gay bar in Palestine, with Israelis, Palestinians, and Americans sharing a table. The narration by a Palestinian-American adds depth. The story lacks a traditional plot but offers a compelling snapshot of social interactions. (3/5)

6. The First Person by Kathryn Scanlan - A woman walking in a park observes various gross and pointless things. It’s dull and unengaging. (0/5)

7. The Dance by Mircea Cărtărescu - A man arrives on a mysterious island where treasure and doomed ships lie behind a guardian. Inspired by Arabian tales, he navigates a palace to find the guardian. The story is straightforward but entertaining. (3/5)

[Taran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the sportswriting more than I expected as a weakling/nerd. Also some very memorable short stories - Caryl Churchill's pared back surrealism was striking, and I got to read a story from Mircea Cărtărescu that had what I can only describe as a sort of vapourwave aesthetic? Wild stuff