The aim behind this publication was relatively simple: to provide something for everyone.

For the modern world, in which people want everything to be quicker and more accessible, and with so much reading taking place commuting or in the few minutes before going to bed, we wanted to produce a collection tailored for the modern reader.

It fast became apparent that the perfect vehicle for this challenge was the short story, so often neglected by publishers and, as a result, not picked up by the reader. At long last efforts are being made to revive short fiction and ensure that the genre receives the recognition it deserves – not as a side-part but as reading that perfectly complements the novel whilst offering its own unique qualities.

With several initiatives and major prizes being recently announced, the profile of the short story is on the up. However, as it is, it will be quite some time before the reader shakes off its negative associations and the format takes its place alongside the novel in the mainstream fiction market. Therefore, to help achieve this feat, we wanted to almost reintroduce the public to short fiction by offering an original format, specifically designed for today’s reader.

Seven Days consists of seven stories by different authors, each longer than the traditional short story and, although very different individually, held together by the overarching theme of depicting a character for a single day. Firstly, the length of story means that the reader is allowed access to a developed narrative, offering the beginning, middle and end of the novel, whilst also containing the unique qualities of the short story – snappy, tight and compact. Perfect for the busy reader.

Secondly, the overarching theme of the book enables the diversity of the short story to be in full evidence. Each story has been carefully selected to provide something very different individually, yet together they complement each other and offer a great deal as a whole. Again, this incorporates one of the most important qualities of the novel but maintains the best features of shorter fiction. In addition, the publication is neatly broken up for the reader to read sections at a time, whether commuting or at home.

Seven Days is also a follow-up to Legend Press’s initial acclaimed short story collection, The Remarkable Everyday. The idea for that book struck whilst buying a carton of milk on a busy street corner and wondering what it would be like to get into the mind of each passer-by, discovering all the complexities of their everyday life and thoughts. The aim was to uncover a few of the million different stories going on all around us – fleetingly intersecting with each other, though often unknowingly.

This is another aspect of the modern world – interest has never been as open or as great in observing and looking into other people’s lives. A symptom of this is the general public’s love of reality TV shows, celebrities, fly-on-the-wall documentaries, chat-shows, blogs etc. We love understanding ourselves or getting entertainment and/or catharsis from watching others, and the short story collection can offer this better than any other format.

Seven Days has taken The Remarkable Everyday one step further, thus emphasising and challenging the qualities described above. We specifically looked for stories from a particular cultural angle – not necessarily from a religious perspective but simply from a certain aspect of life. It could have been anything from a Nepalese monk to a football fan.

We received stories from all over the world – from award-winning authors to talented new writers. We also ran a second successful international short story competition through FanStory.com. This international touch is evident in a couple of the stories and adds to the effect of looking into people’s everyday lives whilst maintaining relevance to the UK reader.

It was difficult to choose from hundreds of excellent stories, but in the end the decision came back to that initial aim: providing something for everyone. We purposely chose a rich and diverse range, each offering something very different and so, as a result, also adding to the overall picture. One of the most rewarding aspects of publishing such a collection is to listen to readers saying which story they liked best, which was most relevant to them, which they got most out of, and so on.

In many ways I hope Seven Days acts as a catalyst; that this collection tailored for the modern reader not only provides great entertainment in its own right but also encourages the reader to go out and try another short story publication along with their next novel. Reading one helps to appreciate the other and of course Legend Press will shortly be bringing out its third short story collection for readers to buy! Enjoy Seven Days and, as always, feel free to send us your comments.

Tom Chalmers, Managing Director of Legend Press (April 2007)

www.legendpress.co.uk

> View all Short Story features