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Mainstream: An Anthology of Stories from the Edges
Mainstream brings thirty authors in from the margins to occupy centre-page. Queer storytellers. Working class wordsmiths. Chroniclers of colour. Writers whose life experiences give unique perspectives on universal challenges, whose voices must be heard. And read:
Aisha Phoenix, Alex Hopkins, Bidisha, Chris Simpson, DJ Connell, Elizabeth Baines, Gaylene Gould, Giselle Leeb, Golnoosh Nour, Hedy Hume, Iqbal Hussain, Jonathan Kemp, Julia Bell, Juliet Jacques, Justin David, Kathy Hoyle, Keith Jarrett, Kerry Hudson, Kit de Waal, Lisa Goldman, Lui Sit, Nathan Evans, Neil Bartlett, Neil Lawrence, Neil McKenna, Ollie Charles, Padrika Tarrant, Paul McVeigh, Philip Ridley, Polis Loizou.
The anthology is edited by Justin David and Nathan Evans. Justin says, ‘In publishing, it’s often only the voices of a privileged minority that get heard and those of ‘minority’ groups—specifically the working classes, ethnic minorities and the LGBTQ+ community—don’t get the amplification they deserve. We wanted to bring all those underrepresented groups together in one volume in order to pump up the volume’
Aisha Phoenix, Alex Hopkins, Bidisha, Chris Simpson, DJ Connell, Elizabeth Baines, Gaylene Gould, Giselle Leeb, Golnoosh Nour, Hedy Hume, Iqbal Hussain, Jonathan Kemp, Julia Bell, Juliet Jacques, Justin David, Kathy Hoyle, Keith Jarrett, Kerry Hudson, Kit de Waal, Lisa Goldman, Lui Sit, Nathan Evans, Neil Bartlett, Neil Lawrence, Neil McKenna, Ollie Charles, Padrika Tarrant, Paul McVeigh, Philip Ridley, Polis Loizou.
The anthology is edited by Justin David and Nathan Evans. Justin says, ‘In publishing, it’s often only the voices of a privileged minority that get heard and those of ‘minority’ groups—specifically the working classes, ethnic minorities and the LGBTQ+ community—don’t get the amplification they deserve. We wanted to bring all those underrepresented groups together in one volume in order to pump up the volume’
- GenresLGBTShort Stories
272 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2021
4 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Justin David
20 books94 followersJUSTIN DAVID is a writer and artist living and working in East London. After graduating from the MA Creative and Life Writing at Goldsmiths College he completed a London novel, ‘The Pharmacist’, set in Shoreditch, about pleasure seekers derailed and looking for love in the wrong place.
His debut novella, The Pharmacist, will be released on June 1st by SALT Publishing as one of the first acquisitions in their Modern Dreams series.
Justin teaches and consults in the Arts in London and has advised the education department of the National Gallery on their schools provision. He is also a regular speaker on their Take One Picture programme.
His writing has appeared in numerous magazines, including Beige Magazine, Gay Times and short story anthologies: ‘The Next Wave’, Millivres, 2001, ‘City Secrets’, Crocus Books, 2002,‘Polari Online Magazine’, 2009, ‘Even More Tonto Short Stories’, Tonto, 2010. He has read at Royal Festival Hall for Paul Burston’s gay literary salon, Polari.
His photographic works have appeared on the pages of many magazines including: Time Out, Beige, Out There, Gay Times, Attitude, QX, GlitterWolf, Fluid, Pink Paper, Muso and Classical Music Magazine.
His debut novella, The Pharmacist, will be released on June 1st by SALT Publishing as one of the first acquisitions in their Modern Dreams series.
Justin teaches and consults in the Arts in London and has advised the education department of the National Gallery on their schools provision. He is also a regular speaker on their Take One Picture programme.
His writing has appeared in numerous magazines, including Beige Magazine, Gay Times and short story anthologies: ‘The Next Wave’, Millivres, 2001, ‘City Secrets’, Crocus Books, 2002,‘Polari Online Magazine’, 2009, ‘Even More Tonto Short Stories’, Tonto, 2010. He has read at Royal Festival Hall for Paul Burston’s gay literary salon, Polari.
His photographic works have appeared on the pages of many magazines including: Time Out, Beige, Out There, Gay Times, Attitude, QX, GlitterWolf, Fluid, Pink Paper, Muso and Classical Music Magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 9, 2021
Mainstream is an anthology of writing from underrepresented authors. The publisher Inkandescant has the tagline "by outsiders for outsiders" so maybe I am not quite their target audience. But one of the reasons I read is to experience the world as others see it, to challenge my thinking and to learn. And so I think there is something in this collection for everyone. All are well written and interesting and as with any anthology some resonate with you more than others, some leave you wanting more and the best send you scurrying to find more by that author. My personal favourites were:
The Beach by Hedy Hume
Going Up, Going Down by Nathan Evans
Twickenham by Neil Bartlett
Pixmalion by Polis Loizou
Sunday by Philip Ridley
The Beach by Hedy Hume
Going Up, Going Down by Nathan Evans
Twickenham by Neil Bartlett
Pixmalion by Polis Loizou
Sunday by Philip Ridley
October 21, 2021
There has been a lot of talk in the publishing world recently of underrepresented authors. If you haven’t been fortunate to go to the right universities or know the right people then getting the words you have written between the covers of a book can be an uphill struggle.
In this crowdfunded collection, Inkandescant has given thirty authors the opportunity for their voices to be heard. There are authors who bring lots of life experience to the page, working-class writers whose perspective is not heard often enough. They have also selected queer scribes and people of colour who all have stories to tell. Some of these have had their words published elsewhere and some are seeing their name for the first time in print in a book.
Ass with any collection that I read, I can’t say that I loved every story equally. What everyone likes is deeply personal and I am the same. I did have three that I thought were outstanding though, The Birdwatchers, The Reluctant Bride and A Life That Isn’t Mine To See. What I would like to see though are these authors that have appeared for the first time have the chance to write longer pieces in other publishers as their voices are just as relevant as everyone else.
In this crowdfunded collection, Inkandescant has given thirty authors the opportunity for their voices to be heard. There are authors who bring lots of life experience to the page, working-class writers whose perspective is not heard often enough. They have also selected queer scribes and people of colour who all have stories to tell. Some of these have had their words published elsewhere and some are seeing their name for the first time in print in a book.
Ass with any collection that I read, I can’t say that I loved every story equally. What everyone likes is deeply personal and I am the same. I did have three that I thought were outstanding though, The Birdwatchers, The Reluctant Bride and A Life That Isn’t Mine To See. What I would like to see though are these authors that have appeared for the first time have the chance to write longer pieces in other publishers as their voices are just as relevant as everyone else.
July 9, 2021
*I received a free ARC of this anthology with thanks to Justin and Nathan at Inkandescent. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Mainstream is a stunning anthology of own voice short stories, containing fifteen stories from established authors, and fifteen from lesser-known names.
The only theme of the collection is just that – that the authors all have life experiences of living in the margins and at the edges – which means that the collection is one of the most diverse I have ever read, in every sense of the word. Each writer produces their own, unique story, unrelated to those that come before or after. You will find elements of fantasy, sci fi, horror, romance – any aspect of the human experience you can name may be found within these pages.
What unites these stories, beyond their authors, is that each is exceptionally well-written and represents a small, perfectly-captured moment in time. These are not stories to be gobbled down greedily all in one sitting, or galloped through thoughtlessly on the run. These are stories to be savoured, to take time over, to absorb mindfully and feel under your skin. They are stories to be returned to again and again, each time finding a new detail, a new flavour, that you missed before.
My personal favourite was the surreal fever-dream of ‘Sunday’ by Philip Ridley, but actually there wasn’t a single entry that I didn’t enjoy and admire, and nearly every story lingered with me after reading, leaving me mulling over the depths and the details, the emotions and experiences.
I recommend this anthology to anyone who enjoys the short story format, or who would like to try an exemplary sample of such stories. Also to anyone who has ever read a story and felt unrepresented, misunderstood, left out. Anyone who wants to broaden their horizons and experience a different perspective from their own familiar, comfortable daily view. And anyone who just loves a well-crafted story – there really is something for every palate!
'I walk across the shingle to the scene of the crime—No, not across ‘shingle’. Gravel! I’m on a side street in East London, not a beach in Brighton. I wish I was on a beach in Brighton. The weather’s so hot, iguanas are falling from the trees. Not that East London has iguanas. Or has it? Everything changes so fast these days. You go to sleep in one world and wake up in—
‘You can’t go beyond this point, sir!’
I’ve been stopped by a policeman.'
– Philip Ridley, ‘Sunday’ in Mainstream
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
Mainstream is a stunning anthology of own voice short stories, containing fifteen stories from established authors, and fifteen from lesser-known names.
The only theme of the collection is just that – that the authors all have life experiences of living in the margins and at the edges – which means that the collection is one of the most diverse I have ever read, in every sense of the word. Each writer produces their own, unique story, unrelated to those that come before or after. You will find elements of fantasy, sci fi, horror, romance – any aspect of the human experience you can name may be found within these pages.
What unites these stories, beyond their authors, is that each is exceptionally well-written and represents a small, perfectly-captured moment in time. These are not stories to be gobbled down greedily all in one sitting, or galloped through thoughtlessly on the run. These are stories to be savoured, to take time over, to absorb mindfully and feel under your skin. They are stories to be returned to again and again, each time finding a new detail, a new flavour, that you missed before.
My personal favourite was the surreal fever-dream of ‘Sunday’ by Philip Ridley, but actually there wasn’t a single entry that I didn’t enjoy and admire, and nearly every story lingered with me after reading, leaving me mulling over the depths and the details, the emotions and experiences.
I recommend this anthology to anyone who enjoys the short story format, or who would like to try an exemplary sample of such stories. Also to anyone who has ever read a story and felt unrepresented, misunderstood, left out. Anyone who wants to broaden their horizons and experience a different perspective from their own familiar, comfortable daily view. And anyone who just loves a well-crafted story – there really is something for every palate!
'I walk across the shingle to the scene of the crime—No, not across ‘shingle’. Gravel! I’m on a side street in East London, not a beach in Brighton. I wish I was on a beach in Brighton. The weather’s so hot, iguanas are falling from the trees. Not that East London has iguanas. Or has it? Everything changes so fast these days. You go to sleep in one world and wake up in—
‘You can’t go beyond this point, sir!’
I’ve been stopped by a policeman.'
– Philip Ridley, ‘Sunday’ in Mainstream
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
November 9, 2021
Not marginal enough
Some really good stories but the focus was more on the problems of being gay I was hoping for other voices as well, those in poverty, the disabled, the homeless, immigrants, and other people that live on the edge.
Some really good stories but the focus was more on the problems of being gay I was hoping for other voices as well, those in poverty, the disabled, the homeless, immigrants, and other people that live on the edge.
May 24, 2024
I’ve been meaning to read this book since it was first published.
Because of the decision to place so-called “emerging” authors alongside established authors such as Kit De Waal, Kerry Hudson and Paul McVeigh this means that the actual number of the former included in this collection of thirty stories is drastically reduced to only fifteen. Moreover, this pairing of emerging with established authors presupposes that the former need their hands holding throughout the whole process and are not considered sufficiently competent or weighty enough to stand on their own two feet.
With exactly half of the contributors being female, the anthology also leans rather heavily towards queer writers. Confessional, first person stories are in the majority, and for those writers who are queer they often deal in an autobiographical manner with the theme of coming out and the narrator’s first sexual experiences.
The best stories are in my view: “Home Time”, “Twickenham” and “Serosorting”. There’s some quality writing at times. For instance: “He watches the barber plunge the brush up and down into the soap until it foams up like meringue” and “Rupert feels the blade rest tentatively against his skin and hear the frit-frit of it like pine against sandpaper” (both examples from Serosorting) though the latter features a verbal agreement error and should read “hears” not “hear”. See also "less and less parakeets are falling (p. 246) which should read "fewer and fewer parakeets are falling".
Many of the remaining works – whether from the emerging authors or even the established ones – are in my view mediocre, and as a result eminently forgettable.
There’s also some sloppy writing in evidence, stylistically speaking: “I started getting certificates”, “Dad started calling me”, “my body started growing hair” – all of these occur within the space of only five lines and it’s what my old English teacher would have called “weak repetition”.
The number of typos in the paperback edition are pretty typical of what one has come to expect from professionally-published books these days: p. 9 “Introdution”, p. 20 “I breath out”, p. 25 “her lined face seem to have grown”, p.118 “a tennis courts”, p. 219 “once the thought took hold it I couldn’t shake it off”, p. 237 "vocal chords", p. 238 "How I can I help", p. 239 "I go to into the living room", p. 244 "all you wanted to do every evening and was flop on the fucking sofa", p. 245 "What's number do I need?" and p. 245 "Parakeets are piled so higher they're covering..."
Frankly, I was expecting much more than this. The lack of working-class voices is disappointing, and the book exudes a middle-class ambience. Kit de Waal’s book “Common People” for example is a far superior anthology with greater diversity.
Because of the decision to place so-called “emerging” authors alongside established authors such as Kit De Waal, Kerry Hudson and Paul McVeigh this means that the actual number of the former included in this collection of thirty stories is drastically reduced to only fifteen. Moreover, this pairing of emerging with established authors presupposes that the former need their hands holding throughout the whole process and are not considered sufficiently competent or weighty enough to stand on their own two feet.
With exactly half of the contributors being female, the anthology also leans rather heavily towards queer writers. Confessional, first person stories are in the majority, and for those writers who are queer they often deal in an autobiographical manner with the theme of coming out and the narrator’s first sexual experiences.
The best stories are in my view: “Home Time”, “Twickenham” and “Serosorting”. There’s some quality writing at times. For instance: “He watches the barber plunge the brush up and down into the soap until it foams up like meringue” and “Rupert feels the blade rest tentatively against his skin and hear the frit-frit of it like pine against sandpaper” (both examples from Serosorting) though the latter features a verbal agreement error and should read “hears” not “hear”. See also "less and less parakeets are falling (p. 246) which should read "fewer and fewer parakeets are falling".
Many of the remaining works – whether from the emerging authors or even the established ones – are in my view mediocre, and as a result eminently forgettable.
There’s also some sloppy writing in evidence, stylistically speaking: “I started getting certificates”, “Dad started calling me”, “my body started growing hair” – all of these occur within the space of only five lines and it’s what my old English teacher would have called “weak repetition”.
The number of typos in the paperback edition are pretty typical of what one has come to expect from professionally-published books these days: p. 9 “Introdution”, p. 20 “I breath out”, p. 25 “her lined face seem to have grown”, p.118 “a tennis courts”, p. 219 “once the thought took hold it I couldn’t shake it off”, p. 237 "vocal chords", p. 238 "How I can I help", p. 239 "I go to into the living room", p. 244 "all you wanted to do every evening and was flop on the fucking sofa", p. 245 "What's number do I need?" and p. 245 "Parakeets are piled so higher they're covering..."
Frankly, I was expecting much more than this. The lack of working-class voices is disappointing, and the book exudes a middle-class ambience. Kit de Waal’s book “Common People” for example is a far superior anthology with greater diversity.
February 3, 2024
An excellent anthology, but I do have reservations, but first I will sing its praises. I would have bought this anthology for the new story from Philip Ridley alone (Ridley wrote some brilliant short stories and two novels in the 1980's and 90's but since then almost all his work has been for theatre). That there is also new work from authors I love such as Paul McVeigh, Jonathan Kemp, Neil Bartlett and Ian McKenna (by no means all the authors in the anthology whose work I love and admire) was also a great plus. I admire, support and believe in the policy of the publisher's, Inkandescent, to discover and publish authors from a backgrounds and groups that are often unheard and neglected. But....
Isn't there always a but and there are two things which a problematic about this anthology; first it is basically an anthology of LGBT+ authors though the synopsis on the cover does not indicate this. This maybe through a desire to avoid labels which are limiting, and I realise that exactly how young people define themselves is a world away from what was done in my youth. I wouldn't dream of being prescriptive - but I have seen other reviewers complain, some justification, that this anthology is not necessarily as broad in content and contributors as it claims.
My other problem is that like other anthologies attempting to provide a 'voice' to those previously unheard, there is a unresolved question of the basis for inclusion. Is it enough to be a previously unheard or under represented voice or do literary quality provide the essential qualification. I can't help asking this because some of the stories a wildly inferior to others and I believe that the need for or desire for comprehensive inclusiveness has blunted quality. For me a bad or mediocre story is a bad or mediocre story no matter the merits of the author as representing a group or voice which has previously been unheard.
I may have been more aware of those stories that failed to be excellent because I read it immediately after Declan Meade's anthology 'These Are Our Lives' an anthology of such stunning quality that perhaps any other anthology would pale in comparison.
I have no regret owning this anthology and will return and read some of these stories again, but not all.
Isn't there always a but and there are two things which a problematic about this anthology; first it is basically an anthology of LGBT+ authors though the synopsis on the cover does not indicate this. This maybe through a desire to avoid labels which are limiting, and I realise that exactly how young people define themselves is a world away from what was done in my youth. I wouldn't dream of being prescriptive - but I have seen other reviewers complain, some justification, that this anthology is not necessarily as broad in content and contributors as it claims.
My other problem is that like other anthologies attempting to provide a 'voice' to those previously unheard, there is a unresolved question of the basis for inclusion. Is it enough to be a previously unheard or under represented voice or do literary quality provide the essential qualification. I can't help asking this because some of the stories a wildly inferior to others and I believe that the need for or desire for comprehensive inclusiveness has blunted quality. For me a bad or mediocre story is a bad or mediocre story no matter the merits of the author as representing a group or voice which has previously been unheard.
I may have been more aware of those stories that failed to be excellent because I read it immediately after Declan Meade's anthology 'These Are Our Lives' an anthology of such stunning quality that perhaps any other anthology would pale in comparison.
I have no regret owning this anthology and will return and read some of these stories again, but not all.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews