Having very little money at the time, in the early 90s, I remember having a book fund, a sort of piggy bank for loose change which I would spend on books, and I remember I used this to buy a copy of Alberto Manguel’s anthology of fantastic literature Black Water, a big volume published by Picador of 72 short stories. An influential book, I think, bringing together classics like ‘The Monkey’s Paw’ with lesser known works like the Calvino story I’ve chosen here. ‘The Argentine Ant’ is built on a very simple premise – a family, and a community, is driven mad by the relentless presence of ants. It inspired the title poem of my third poetry collection, Island to Island.
First published as ‘La formica argentina’, 1952, and in translation in 1957. Now available in Difficult Loves and Other Stories, Vintage, 2018
A Personal Anthology 