Ten Journeys

by Guy Mankowski, Dave Foxall, A.J. Kirby

The latest in the acclaimed "Short Story Reinvented Series", "10 Journeys" offers a unique array of poignant journeys - both literal and psychological. Evocative and highly engaging, the stories transform everyday accounts into the most accessible yet powerful collection possible. Presenting a host of talented writers, each story compares and contrasts to encapsulate the individuality of short fiction. Sometimes dark and stimulating, other times charming and simply beautiful, these stories illustrate a portrait of unexpected wealth in ten bite-size chunks.

The collection features 10 talented authors: Guy Mankowski, A.J. Kirby, Dave Foxall, Cassandra Parkin, Josie Henley-Einion, Paul Burman, Anne Devereux, Ari O'Connell, Brendan Telford and Alistair Meldrum.

304 pages, Paperback

First published April 24, 2010

About the author

Guy Mankowski's biography of Kristen Pfaff from Hole is now available for subscribers at https://iknowhowtolive.substack.com/

The biography No Treble magazined described as 'long awaited'- which Substack certified as a 'bestseller' in February 2025 (a top 30 'Rising in Music Substack) follows volume one of two about Pfaff's life (taking the reader up to her joining Hole). Subscribers to the Substack are also hearing on there unheard songs by Pfaff, excerpts from her journal recordings, unseen photos from her time at the heart of the alt-rock music scene and other media. John Robb (the first journalist to interview Nirvana) said 'This book ultimately places Kristen back in the deserved centre of the narrative.’

Jane Savidge said of it, ‘Mankowski’s brilliant retelling of the extraordinary life of Kristen Pfaff- one of the most important players in the Seattle / Sub Pop scene- is a timely reminder that sometimes the heroes don’t always win and the truth is out there if you look hard enough.’

Mankowski is a Senior Lecturer at Lincoln University, and his agent is Matthew Hamilton at The Hamilton Agency.

Reviews

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review – 10 Journeys – The Short Story Reinvented

Legend Press ISBN – 9781906558192 – 8 out of 10

10 Journeys, the latest collection from Legend Press contains ten new short stories covering a myriad of genres, personalities and places.

Although they are short stories, they are longer short stories, and the book is more than 3 hundred pages, and while all of the stories are different, they seem to work very well together as a story. There is Dave Foxall’s ‘I’m Afraid to fly’ which on first impressions seems to be about a man re-telling the tale of a relationship that went wrong, whilst trying to take his mind of flying. There is a twist in the tail of this piece, but it follows the logic of the whole story, so it does not feel forced or tagged on for effect.

Ari O’Connell’s ‘Ukini Nageni’ looks at an English woman working a bar job in Japan, and the dangers and betrayals that she faces on a daily basis, whilst Paul Burman’s ‘At the Rawling’s place’ is a look back at mysterious childhood summer events from an adult perspective.

Josie Henley Einion’s ‘Dear’ tells the tale of a relationship, from one point of view, from first inftuation, to final realisation, whilst Anne Devereux’s story ‘What if you slept’ is a coming of age, love, and ghost story all rolled into one.

This is a fine collection of stories, with universally high levels of writing, and continues Legend Press’s tradition of unearthing hidden gems for wider consumption.