Pour yourself a glass of something and settle down this to listen to our three favourite short stories from our festive fiction competition, sponsored by Story Horse - more about their new collection here. And don't forget - we print a Bedtime story in every issue of The Simple Things.
A very Merry Christmas from The Simple Things team. X
Christmas Eve by Jennifer Gray
Merribelle’s Gift by Emma Richardson
Wassail by Helen Duncan
Music by Dominic Halpin.
Stories read by Anna Hope. Anna Hope trained at RADA and acted for many years before completing an MA in Creative Writing at Birkbeck College. Her first novel 'Wake', which tells the story of three women in London in 1920 dealing with the aftermath of the First World War, was published by Doubleday in January 2014. In November she was shortlisted for the New Writer of the Year award at the National Book Awards. She's delighted to be reading the short stories for the Simple Things competition.
There’s a story behind Story Horse. Two friends, one cold and miserable Monday morning in February, had an idea: what if they made a collection of things they’d love to use, at affordable prices, that were a bit different from what’s on the high street, that would feel so special you’d want to buy them as gifts for friends, too.
Why Story Horse? Well, there’s another story there. It’s a familiar Irish greeting, particularly in the north of Dublin “What’s the story, horse?” or “how are you doing?”.
Our love for nice products, doing things the right way and treating people the way we like to be treated are all part of our story. So are views of Belfast Lough, stormy weather and getting away. So you’ll find weekend luggage, nice toiletries for a spa feeling and accessories to cover whatever the weather throws at you.
Join Story Horse on our journey as we design for women who live and think like us. You can find out more and buy Story Horse items at www.storyhorse.com.