What do you do when you're a kid who loves football but whose father has been humiliated by thugs at a football match? If you're Cormac Heveran, you mooch around the Drumcliffe river-bank and get into bad company. Only a commonsensical miracle can make things right. But such things don't happen, do they?

What do you do when you're a kid who loves football but whose father has been humiliated by thugs at a football match? If you're Cormac Heveran, you mooch around the Drumcliffe river-bank and get into bad company. Only a commonsensical miracle can make things right. But such things don't happen, do they?

This story was the first of my stories to be broadcast on BBC Radio Four, on 12 May 1986. It's special to me partly because it made me feel I might have what it takes to be a writer; partly because the reading itself 'lifted' the piece, made its author see things in it he had missed during the writing process. This has often happened since. John Henry Newman once described hymn-singing as 'praying twice'. A good actor can do that for the written word. This story was read by Garard Green. I did not write to thank him. I should have...
I think it was Garrison Keillor who said that just because a story was 'finished' it didn't mean that he couldn't fiddle with it a bit. I have 'fiddled' with this story quite a bit over the years. The context it 1986 was the Suez crisis. But times have moved on.

This story was the first of my stories to be broadcast on BBC Radio Four, on 12 May 1986. It's special to me partly because it made me feel I might have what it takes to be a writer; partly because the reading itself 'lifted' the piece, made its author see things in it he had missed during the writing process. This has often happened since. John Henry Newman once described hymn-singing as 'praying twice'. A good actor can do that for the written word. This story was read by Garard Green. I did not write to thank him. I should have...
I think it was Garrison Keillor who said that just because a story was 'finished' it didn't mean that he couldn't fiddle with it a bit. I have 'fiddled' with this story quite a bit over the years. The context it 1986 was the Suez crisis. But times have moved on.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1865. Excerpt: ... game, lio must pay the usual stake for each ball so forfeited. 5. If the white ball touch a coloured one, tho player may score all the coloured balls he pockets--ho cannot give a miss. 6. Should the striker move any ball in taking aim or striking, he loses all he might otherwise have gained by the stroke. 7. If the striker force one or more of the coloured balls over the table, he scores one foi each, the same as if he had pocketed them. In some rooms--notably at the King's Arms, Fenchurch street--this rule is not adhered to; a ball wilfully forced over the table not being allowed to score. 8. If the game be played with an even number of balls, the last hazard counts one; if with an odd number, it counts two. 9. When all the coloured balls but one are pocketed, the player who made the last hazard continues to play with the white ball, and his opponent with the red, alternately, as at single Pool. 10. When only two balls are on the table, and two persons playing, should the striker hole the ball he is playing with, or make a miss, the game is finished; if there are more than two players, and they not partners, the striker places a ball on the spot. In the Losing Pyramid--seldom played--losing instead of winning hazards are made, and for each hazard a ball is taken off the table. SINGLE POOL. This game is played by two players for a stake on the lives--usually three--and a pool. The taker of the majority of lives wins the game. The rules are the same as in Pool. SKITTIB Fooij. This is an amateur's game, in which any number of players may engage. It was introduced into. Purcell's rooms in Cornhill in the spring of 1861. No particular science is required. Twelve skittles are placed at regular distances round the table, about six inches from the cushion. Two o...

Married Anglican clergy zooming off to Rome may be a good thing to make up the shortfall in Catholic ranks of celibate priests, but what effect will these blow-ins have on celibate parish priests, their housekeepers and the Catholic parish? This story addresses the worst case scenario through an exchange of letters by all concerned.
The piece is around four thousand five hundred words in length, and was included in my collection, The Rule of Twelfths.

Married Anglican clergy zooming off to Rome may be a good thing to make up the shortfall in Catholic ranks of celibate priests, but what effect will these blow-ins have on celibate parish priests, their housekeepers and the Catholic parish? This story addresses the worst case scenario through an exchange of letters by all concerned.
The piece is around four thousand five hundred words in length, and was included in my collection, The Rule of Twelfths.

A story of 2100 words, and winner of the Barbican 'Writing for London' short story prize in 2006. It tells the life story of Mary Lynch through the scraps she leaves behind her around the world.

A story of 2100 words, and winner of the Barbican 'Writing for London' short story prize in 2006. It tells the life story of Mary Lynch through the scraps she leaves behind her around the world.

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections
such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact,
or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections,
have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works
worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.



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The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to ensure edition identification:

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<title> Billiards, Its Theory And Practice: With The Scientific Principle Of The Side-stroke, The Spot-stroke, &c., The Rules Of The Various Games, Hints On Betting, And A Chapter On Bagatelle

<edition> 11

<author> George Frederick Pardon

<publisher> Ward, Lock, and Co., 1885

<subjects> Literary Criticism; European; English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; Bagatelle (Game); Billiards; Literary Criticism / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; Sports & Recreation / Pool, Billiards, Snooker

This is a Christmas story. It's also about bereavement and despair and the ache for vengeance. Ed Welsh is preparing to take a flight from San Francisco to Singapore on a miserable errand. He is completely alone in the world. Then, in the elevator of his apartment building, he meets an old woman. This story was wonderfully read on the BBC by William Roberts. At 1,600 words it was the shortest script I ever submitted for the slot.

This is a Christmas story. It's also about bereavement and despair and the ache for vengeance. Ed Welsh is preparing to take a flight from San Francisco to Singapore on a miserable errand. He is completely alone in the world. Then, in the elevator of his apartment building, he meets an old woman. This story was wonderfully read on the BBC by William Roberts. At 1,600 words it was the shortest script I ever submitted for the slot.

This story - at 4,500 words twice as long as most I have done - was a runner-up in the Bridport Short Story Prize 2007. Having said that, the action takes place in just a minute of time. It is set on Interstate 95 between Westport and Bridgeport. A lot of vehicles pass over a piece of concrete in a minute. The story selects some of these travellers and, in entering their stories, gets to grips with the nature of the stain on the freeway...and its wider meaning.

This story - at 4,500 words twice as long as most I have done - was a runner-up in the Bridport Short Story Prize 2007. Having said that, the action takes place in just a minute of time. It is set on Interstate 95 between Westport and Bridgeport. A lot of vehicles pass over a piece of concrete in a minute. The story selects some of these travellers and, in entering their stories, gets to grips with the nature of the stain on the freeway...and its wider meaning.

'The Price of Fame' had its fifteen minutes in the sunshine of publication on BBC Radio 4, in their Short Story slot. I got my start in writing with Morning Story/ Short Story and will always be grateful for the editor there, the late Barbara Crowther. She returned the first story I got on to the radio THREE TIMES for me to revise, including wise advice with each 'yes,but...' note she sent me. In so doing, she gave me many valuable pointers for future submissions. I - maybe - hold the record for short stories broadcast on 'Short Story'. I had upwards of fifty broadcast over a 12-year period.

Barbara told me to have a strong beginning, strong middle and strong end; to limit named characters to three or four, to consider my listener...maybe distracted by jobs at home, by driving, by life going on. The sense of the story had to come across at first hearing. There was no chance to read again (or then) to listen again.

It was as a result of someone hearing a short story on the radio that I got a publisher for my unwanted novels. I owe a lot to that hard-working editor, Barbara Crowther.

'The Price of Fame' had its fifteen minutes in the sunshine of publication on BBC Radio 4, in their Short Story slot. I got my start in writing with Morning Story/ Short Story and will always be grateful for the editor there, the late Barbara Crowther. She returned the first story I got on to the radio THREE TIMES for me to revise, including wise advice with each 'yes,but...' note she sent me. In so doing, she gave me many valuable pointers for future submissions. I - maybe - hold the record for short stories broadcast on 'Short Story'. I had upwards of fifty broadcast over a 12-year period.

Barbara told me to have a strong beginning, strong middle and strong end; to limit named characters to three or four, to consider my listener...maybe distracted by jobs at home, by driving, by life going on. The sense of the story had to come across at first hearing. There was no chance to read again (or then) to listen again.

It was as a result of someone hearing a short story on the radio that I got a publisher for my unwanted novels. I owe a lot to that hard-working editor, Barbara Crowther.