Introduction

Hello, Personal Anthology subscribers! We’re Han Clark and Gary Kaill, and we run the online literary journal Lunate Fiction. We met at the Manchester Writing School at MMU in 2018 while studying the MA Creative Writing. That course of study not only changed the direction of our own work, but it impacted significantly on the type of fiction we read and enjoy. We founded Lunate shortly after graduating, largely because we felt that those particular tastes and preferences might just provide for a new journal where the like-minded could find a home. We’ve enjoyed showcasing short stories, poetry and book reviews for nearly three years now, and we hope we’re now seen as a home for ambitious work, as well as being a safe and inclusive space for all.
 
We were honoured to be asked to contribute to A Personal Anthology and we hope you’ll find something to enjoy in the stories we’ve chosen. There is no theme, no pathway, no real attempt to formulate our choices. We both simply grabbed a piece of paper and began to scribble a list of short stories we love. Some of them have been with us for a while, some just a matter of months. Our intent, on reflection, was not to critique to any meaningful degree, or even to curate. It was more the case that we wanted to express something more wholly instinctive, and seize upon the opportunity to share with you all these twelve exceptional stories.