Sing Sorrow Sorrow edited by Gwen Davies

‘Sing Sorrow Sorrow is a chilling collection of supernatural myth and otherworldly horror stories from some of Wales’ most exciting new and established authors. From the dark waters of the Styx to the circling birds of the Mabinogion, from the lonely house to cities of the mind, the contemporary stories in Sing Sorrow Sorrow grow out of European folk, fable, fairy tale and legend – all tales which belong to the domain of the underworld. There are ghosts, murderesses, blood-soaked enchantment, black humour and stories with the darkest twists of the imagination – perfect for reading at Halloween, or rather the eve of its pagan Celtic predecessor Samhain. Draw the chair nearer the fire and enjoy.’ – [Publisher].

Plunging in to the book headfirst I read ‘The Box’. A very short story but brilliantly crafted and one that’ll leave you thinking about it for much longer. Some stories have a natural conclusion whereas others leave your imagination to continue the dark and sinister threads woven in the pages.

The title story, ‘Sing Sorrow Sorrow’ takes you behind the scenes of a killer setting up the next victim and follows it through to the disturbing conclusion. Most of the featured stories are written in the first person and you are drawn into identifying with the characters, no matter how evil they become as they reveal their true nature to you.

Short story collections are often overlooked however I’ve really enjoyed dipping in and out of this book and it makes for great coffee table reading. The fact that some of the 22 stories are only four or five pages long means you can read a snippet while the kettle boils, or waiting for your favourite TV programme to start and then put it down again and leave for another day.

The contributors, all with Welsh connections, bring their own distinct style of writing to the book and yet they complement each other in this collection. They are; Niall Griffiths, Maria Donovan, Deborah Kay Davies, Gee Williams, Richard Gwyn, Tristan Hughes, Cynan Jones, Matthew Francis, Anne Lauppe-Dunbar, Mary-Ann Constantine, Zillah Bethell, Dai Vaughan, Imogen Herrad, Lloyd Jones, Euron Griffith, Jo Mazelis ,Glenda Beagan, Alan Bilton, Roshi Fernando, Christine Harrison, Jon Gower and Charlotte Greig.

Paperback
Publisher: Seren (15 Oct 2010)
ISBN-10: 1854115308
ISBN-13: 978-1854115300
RRP: £9.99