BBC Short Story Prize winner Jo Lloyd has praised James Clarke‘s Hollow in the Land.

“James Clarke is such a generous writer – these linked stories cover just days or even hours in the lives of his shabby, scarred characters, but open long perspectives into whole complex histories of loss and ambition and desire, played out against a beautifully observed small-town landscape, where every second person is someone you know from school or work or tragic misadventures. Clarke’s prose is rich in detail, with many moments of quiet wisdom, and his lovely, subtle endings glow long past the final phrases.”

Hollow in the Land is out now with Serpent’s Tail. You can buy your copy here or, better, via Bookshop.org or your local bookshop.

Follow James on Twitter @jamesrgclarke.