New Writing 8 is the eighth volume of an annual anthology founded in 1992 to provide an outlet for new short stories, work in progress, poetry and essays by established and new writers working in Britain or in the English language. The book is designed primarily as a forum for British writers, and the main object is to present a multi-faceted picture of modern Britain; contributions from English-language writers of non-British nationality will occasionally be accepted if they contribute to this aim. It was designed by the British Council’s Literature Department to respond to the strong interest in the newest British writing overseas, where access to fresh developments is often difficult. It is hoped that, over the years, and under changing editors, it will provide a stimulating, varied and reasonably reliable guide to