Hartlepool author Phil Blacksmith publishes collection of short stories

Phil Blacksmith’s new book German Quartet features four short stories from the years leading up to the Second World War until the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Phil, who currently lives in North Yorkshire with his partner, TV singer Julie Rayne, said: “My late mother Cynthia Smith had a novel published and, after my father died, I found a manuscript of an unpublished novel in his desk, so I suppose writing is in the family – I certainly remember scribbling little stories when I was a kid.”

Phil mostly produces short stories including Out-of-Steppe that he received a Theatre for Mankind prize for.

Speaking about where his idea to write this collection of short stories came from, he said: “People do ask where all my ideas come from but it is difficult to answer, as we are influenced by everything around us.

"Very few of my ideas come from direct experience, though there are exceptions.”

Speaking about his decision to focus on Germany, he said: “I've liked Germany since my student days, when I used to hitch-hike around Germany with hardly any money in my pocket.

"I am interested in modern history and politics and Germany had an interesting 20th Century so, with two German novellas already waiting in my bottom drawer, I felt it was a good idea to complete a book of them.”

German Quartet is available online from https://yorkbookshop.com/.