Grief
Absence, funerals, memory and the odd routines that continue after somebody has gone.
Independent short fiction / read in any order
About the wall.
Sixth Wall Society is an independent digital exhibition of flash fiction, literary short stories and contemporary writing for readers who like the strange parts left in.
The writing
Short enough for now. Strange enough to stay.
The work here begins with flash fiction and short literary fiction: complete stories designed to be read in one sitting. Some take two minutes. Others ask for ten. Length is never the point. Each story still needs a pulse, a world and something that changes before the final line.
The collection is interested in people who misbehave, misunderstand one another or arrive too late. It returns to memory, grief, love, addiction, class, loneliness, cities and coastlines. The stories may be funny, uncomfortable, tender or bleak, sometimes within the same paragraph.
Mood / style
Literary fiction with mud on its shoes.
The language can be direct, colloquial and rough around the edges. Characters swear. They drink too much, say the wrong thing and remember events differently. Surreal details often enter quietly, as though they have always belonged there.
The photography works in the same register: weathered places, empty water, city edges and evidence that somebody has just left the frame. Neither the writing nor the images are interested in becoming too polished.
Where the stories land
Buckets, if we must.
Every story has a loose category to help readers find a way in. These are signposts rather than rules, and many stories could live in more than one place.
Memory
Childhood, shame, unreliable recollection and the stories people tell about themselves.
Love
Intimacy without polish: desire, tenderness, dependence and people misunderstanding one another.
Surreal
Ordinary lives slipping sideways, usually without anyone stopping to explain why.
Addiction
Alcohol, compulsion, relapse and the private bargains people make with themselves.
Journeys
Coastlines, city streets, unfamiliar rooms and movement that changes the person moving.
Dreams
Night logic, repetition, strange weather and images that refuse to behave sensibly.
Travel
Airports, temporary places and the uncomfortable selves people carry across borders.
Read with a little warning
Content notes.
The stories are written for adults and sometimes contain difficult material. Content notes help readers make an informed choice without revealing every turn in advance. They are guidance, not a complete description of everything a reader might find sensitive.
Grief and bereavement
Death, funerals, loss and the aftermath of losing somebody.
Addiction and alcohol
Alcohol misuse, substance use, dependency and relapse.
Violence and threat
Physical violence, intimidation, injury or threatening behaviour.
Mental health and distress
Emotional crisis, anxiety, humiliation or psychological distress.
Sex and intimacy
Sexual references, intimacy or adult relationships, without explicit imagery.
Death and illness
Illness, dying, suicide references or other mortality-related themes.
Strong language
Swearing, slurs or language some readers may find offensive.
There is no correct place to begin.
Find a story