Book Review: Connections by NTU's MA Creative Writing Students

Connections, the new anthology from Nottingham Trent University's MA Creative Writing course, is fitting in name and content for this post-normal life we are all currently living. Before you even get to the title, the beautiful cover image of a young person making a flower chain lets you know that this collection is going to be about making a connection. The imagery is representative of the need to move away from our over-reliance on digital interaction, and back to making genuine personal connections in the real world. Although the digital world kept us all connected with friends, loved ones and the planet, it’s refreshing to be able to think about a world that is safe enough to be able to connect without a screen. 

The anthology takes a somber but fitting look at death, hospitals and the digital afterlife. My favourite piece came with the Black Mirror-esque Eternal Life by David Belbin. This short story focuses, as the name suggests, on a digital afterlife but in its relation to social issues that we are facing on a global scale rather than immortality. Many short stories in the anthology take a fresh and inviting look into the home – the tales are funny and, at times, a little absurd, such as Erika Davies' There's a Dragon on the Toilet. This charming short story is well placed in the anthology, and brings a smile to the reader, whether they’re an adult or a young person. Reading it warmly reminded me of the many times I enjoyed J.Kerr’s A Tiger Who Came To Tea as a child. 

Collections also boasts many fantastic works of poetry – one that particularly captured my attention is Jo Dixon’s Haida Chief. I was drawn in through its fascinating use of natural imagery, providing a refreshing respite from the digital world that is central to the overall book. This anthology is an entertaining and interesting read, one that is relevant to the reader but will also serve as a well-needed distraction in what is a sad and eventful 2020.