Godfrey Brangham is the co-editor of Arthur Machen’s Selected Letters (with Roger Dobson and R A Gilbert, 1988), and of a selection of Machen’s introductions and forewords, The Day’s Portion (with Nigel Jarrett, 1991). He also edited Purefoy Machen’s memoirs, Where Memory Slept (1991) and is the leading researcher of Machen’s first wife, Amelia Hogg.
For some years Godfrey has also been regaling friends with his stories and vignettes inspired by episodes in Machen’s life or work, as well as other uncanny and mysterious fiction.
Now fifteen of his more general stories have been gathered in a new paperback, A Time It Was and Other Tales (Saron Publishers, 2023), available from the usual online outlets. The announcement for the book advises: ‘This deeply satisfying collection of short stories by a master storyteller ranges from the Knights Templar through a most unusual antiques shop to fishing in the River Usk. Many of the stories have an other-worldly hint about them while others explore snapshots of the ordinary every-day.’
At the launch for the book, Godfrey recalled: ‘Many of the stories in A Time it Was came about because of characters I have met over the years who stayed in my mind, sometimes intermingled with everyday events that nevertheless can change what happens to people.’ As this suggests, the characters in his tales have an appealing authenticity to them, giving even more impact to the strange experiences that come their way.
Local newspaper The Abergavenny Chronicle describes the book ‘as a delightful set of short stories just right for reading on a winter’s evening by the fire.’ Chess, books, a converted church, an old journal, a Victorian painting, a mysterious island, all add picturesque interest to the tales. The stories are succinct and briskly told, and are particularly deft at the unexpected and often ironic final twist.
(Mark Valentine)
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