The Readersphere

LS13, Ink Lines and Dead Ink

Title: LS13: A New Generation of Leeds Writers, edited by Wes Brown

Authors: Dan Annett · Cristina Archetti · Jenny Beech · Matthew Bellwood · SJ Bradley · Sarah Brooks · Joshua Byworth · Rosa Campbell · Max Dunbar · Gareth Durasow · Aissa Gallie · Lizzi Hawkins · AJ Kirby · Adam Lowe · Zodwa Nyoni · Caleb Parkin · Adam Z. Robinson · Richard Smyth · Claire Stephenson · Matthew Hedley Stoppard

Publisher: Ink Lines and Dead Ink

Publication Date: 7th June 2013

Rating: 8/10

Individually they are emerging writers under forty, living or working in Leeds; together they are a community of creativity and innovation. The LS13 anthology bears the subtitle ‘A New Generation of Leeds Writers’, binding each of the twenty young writers to the influence of their city and their age group. The editor Wes Brown affirms the top twenty list is ‘by no way a definitive selection of a co-ordinated “Leedsness”’, and presents the anthology as a sample of the city’s literary life.

On considering the collection as a whole, one word was boldfaced in my mind: diversity. Not only in the content of the writing, but there were no set patterns in the forms, narrative styles and themes either. LS13’s content ranges from sea-shanties to science fiction, flash fiction to poetry, magic realism to film pieces; all that was missing was John Cleese popping up in between each piece saying ‘and now for something completely different’!

Adam Lowe reads his work at the LS13 launch.
Photo by Steve Evans

This, for me, really nails the essence of Leeds. Such an international and independent city reflects the unique work of its inhabitants, and the individuality of twenty Leodensian imaginations seems to be the linking factor in LS13. In order to give a taste of the anthology’s fresh, compelling content, I will comment on a few texts that I engaged with the most.

Kicking off the collection is writer, publisher and producer, Adam Lowe and an extract from his novella ‘Monster’. Written in multiple perspectives, Lowe creates a jerky yet intricate narrative that gradually reveals and builds upon character and plot. The fantasy elements of this text creep through traditional legends like the Beowulf, and the cyber world. However, the first person present tense narrative adds a sense of immediacy and realism, as the reader can access the interior thoughts of each character, like a human bond. This clever fusion of two genres reiterates the non-conformist and boundary-breaking approach to writing in Leeds.

Jenny Beech at the launch of LS13, June 2013.
Photo by Steve Evans

Something completely different – and completely brilliant too – is Jenny Beech’s short story ‘The Gap in the Curtains’. This story is my personal favourite: it captures the confining, suffocating numbness of depression from both the exterior and interior perspectives. Beech seamlessly weaves between Will and Jo’s thoughts, displaying the significance of interiority of mind and space when dealing with loss. I found it impossible not to empathise with each character. It seems the overarching theme of the text was a comment on the fragility of human nature and the inevitable place of emotion within life. Five stars to Jenny, for making me cry on the train.

Another playful piece is Rosa Campbell’s ‘Melville’. As a seventeen-line poem all in one single phrase, I found particular interest in the way it sounded aloud. Naturally, the minimal punctuation and the hanging connectives increase the speed that you read, so it appears almost a confessional burst of feelings. Campbell’s overflowing words and detailing of the characters’ separation reveals the frenzy of emotion in such situations, like a stream of consciousness. ‘Melville’ achieves this expression of life perfectly and the power of poetry is acknowledged in the final lines: ‘[…] I don’t know| If you meant to be poetic but my god, |There’s nothing but poetry here.’

AJ Kirby at the LS13 launch.
Photo by Steve Evans

AJ Kirby’s ‘Extract from Prometheus City: A Leeds Crime Novel’ is also a text that stood out to me. Although LS13 only divulges a fragment of Kirby’s work, his skills in narrative perspective and plot dynamics are very apparent. An omniscient, and sometimes free indirect, narrator stalks Alex through Leeds back to her apartment. The precise description of the streets of Leeds draws a parallel to the geographical accuracy of Joyce’s Ulysses in Dublin, where the character’s journey is mapped out by the author. Monitoring Alex’s location further presents the text as ‘A Leeds Crime Novel’, with Kirby’s narrative techniques imitating detective work. AJ Kirby’s innovative approach to writing is just one example of LS13’s calibre of work.

Keeping the reader on their toes, Aissa Gallie offers a very different view of Leeds in her ‘Film Piece: The Spaces Between Us’. Writing with a camera lens vision, Gallie describes a mundane scene of family life in a Leeds park. The three characters, a mother and her children, are connected in multiple frames of vision. It seems the purely imagist text is minimal in language, yet the images show a permanent familial bond; perhaps this strong link between the characters is one that is best expressed through film. This variety of form in the LS13 collection is what I particularly like about this book, and it says a lot about Leeds’ literary diversity.

Richard Smyth reading his winning story ‘Deep’.
Photo by Steve Evans

Chosen by the poet CJ Allen, the LS13 competition winning story, ‘Deep’ by Richard Smyth, follows the daydream of a nameless cricketer. Time yo-yos from present to past as Smyth skillfully reveals the poignant story of the protagonist’s youth. I found myself absorbed in the character’s memories, and then abruptly brought back to the present; a technique that I think works best in the short story form.

LS13 has successfully given the city of Leeds a whole new range of literary voices. 2013 has been a fantastic year for the city in terms of building upon the community of writers, poets, playwrights and literary enthusiasts through festivals, events, and books like this. LS13 is available to purchase in both paperback and digital formats here.