Clown’s Shoes || Rebecca F. John

A dazzling, ambitious debut collection from a young talent (winner of PEN International/New Voices Award and shortlisted for the Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award), these critically acclaimed stories dip into the shadows and spotlights of life. From the pale waking hours to the darkling places, Clown’s Shoes introduces a cast of lost characters trying to find their way, and asking whether everyone really does come salting home in the end?

Since the Devil visited the glove maker, she has found herself in the asylum counting out days instead of stitches. At the dog track, hidden amongst the rowdy punters, a woman bets on underdogs, life, and love. Onstage, a desperate mother performs a nightly striptease, whilst in a small Welsh town, a young Korean immigrant tells her secrets to the sway of the sea.