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Claire-Louise Bennett
Claire-Louise Bennett grew up in Wiltshire and studied literature and drama at the University of Roehampton, before settling in Galway. Her short fiction and essays have been published in The Stinging Fly, The Penny Dreadful, The Moth, Colony, The Irish Times, The White Review and gorse. She was awarded the inaugural White Review Short Story Prize in 2013 and has received bursaries from the Arts Council and Galway City Council. Her debut novel, Pondwas published by Fitzcarraldo Editions in 2015 and shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize in 2016. Her second novel, Checkout 19, is published by Jonathan Cape in August 2021.

Articles Available Online


The Russian Man

Fiction

Issue No. 27

Claire-Louise Bennett

Fiction

Issue No. 27

Many years ago a large Russian man with the longest tendrils of the softest white hair came to live in the fastest growing town...

poetry

Issue No. 13

Morning, Noon & Night

Claire-Louise Bennett

poetry

Issue No. 13

Sometimes a banana with coffee is nice. It ought not to be too ripe – in fact there should...

Stone   Stone heart Stone deep Stone minded Turn to Stone Stoned Stone I turn to stone when I’m argumentative I turn to stone when I turn chaotic My chaos is a bag of stones I turn to stone when he is on fire I will coat this in stones  I turn   I stone                I roll my stone              I palm my stone         I serve my stone   The stage has been set This set has been staged This set has been stoned by the stony-hearted I am of the stony-hearted I am heart-stone I think the words I am looking for are ‘spite’ and ‘malice’ No, you are stone-cold You are the breaker of stones You, stonecutter You cut the head of my stone, but not my heart Try to touch this Touchstone Touch the touchstone of my want   Of my feast        Of my safety               Of my dark               Of my light             Of my truth   Of my false                 Of my tierce                Of my salt                   Of my sweet   Your slaughter is in flame and slaughter is close to water, is close to laughter, is close to aught I ought to be real here I ought to think again I ought to stammer this home in stones Splint in stones Sprint in stones Glint in stones, but not gravel, not grovel Not pebbled in fear Here’s an interesting question I mean the universe of language is designed to be a stone’s throw from possible, right? A stone’s throw from able Wait Didn’t Abel stone Cain? Didn’t Abel kill his brother? They were family They were blood Use your words Keep your heart stony Create a mouth from your eye, an eye from your mouth  Use your stone heart has a harness Use your eye as a hand  All of you will have to leave something to someone     Gasp   Step into This suffering It is a stroke away from Light It is a stroke away from Horror This claim Is a forward regime Step into This smouldering Step into The smoudler Carry Relief Carry Resistance Carry Tragedy Carry This tragedy Step into The gash Step into His hubris This is not

Contributor

August 2014

Claire-Louise Bennett

Contributor

August 2014

Claire-Louise Bennett grew up in Wiltshire and studied literature and drama at the University of Roehampton, before settling in...

The Lady of the House

fiction

Issue No. 8

Claire-Louise Bennett

fiction

Issue No. 8

Wow it’s so still. Isn’t it eerie. Oh yes. So calm. Everything’s still. That’s right. Look at the rowers – look at how fast...

READ NEXT

feature

January 2013

A Black Hat, Silence and Bombshells : Michael Hofmann at Cambridge & After

Stephen Romer

feature

January 2013

The black hat and the black coat I was familiar with, before I knew their owner. It was Cambridge,...

Essay

March 2019

Dreaming Reasonably: on Jenny George

Rachael Allen

Essay

March 2019

In Neil Marshall’s 2005 horror film The Descent, a group of women go spelunking and become trapped deep underground...

feature

May 2013

Haneke's Lessons

Ricky D'Ambrose

feature

May 2013

‘Art is there to have a stimulating effect, if it earns its name. You have to be honest, that’s...

 

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