Jan Carson is the next author shortlisted for this year’s BBC National Short Story Award. In her gently humorous tale of a family get-together that doesn’t go quite as planned. Laura Donnelly is the reader.

From the short and pithy to the layered and literary, via robust poetics, family hierarchies and maligned youth, this year’s shortlist is the perfect reflection of all this ever-flexible fictional form can do. As a star-studded cast celebrate the fifteenth year of the BBC National Short Story award with Cambridge University, the short story, be it humorous, witty or poignant, retains its ability to surprise, delight and move us in equal measure.

Now in its fifteenth year, the BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University is one of the most prestigious for a single short story. Following the announcement of the shortlist on Radio 4's Front Row, on Friday, 11th September, the five stories in contention for the 2020 award will be broadcast each weekday afternoon on Radio 4 at half past three from Monday, 14th September. Each of the shortlisted writers will be interviewed the evening preceding the broadcast of their story on Front Row, and the winner will be announced live on the programme Tuesday 6th October. All the stories will be available on BBC Sounds after broadcast, and there will be a special edition of the Short Story podcast for each to download.
For links and the most up to date information go to bbc.co.uk/nssa.

Read by Laura Donnelly
Abridged by Rowan Routh
Produced by Karen Holden