In the final episode of the Long and Short, we turn to Elizabeth Bowen, widely considered one of the finest writers of the short story. Mark and Seamus unpack ‘the Bowen effect’ and her singularly haunting style: subtle social commentary cut through with humour, and occasionally outright romanticism. A culmination of the short fiction explored in this series, Bowen’s work proves that life ‘with the lid on’ can be just as exhilarating, moving and funny as any sensationalist story.

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Stories discussed in this episode:

‘The Parrot’

‘Joining Charles’

‘The Needlecase’

‘Mysterious Kôr’

‘The Demon Lover’

Further reading in the LRB:

⁠⁠John Bayley⁠⁠

⁠⁠David Trotter⁠⁠

⁠⁠Tessa Hadley⁠⁠

⁠⁠Sean O'Faolain⁠