Read about the other writers in Crown's feature.Helen Simpson
Simpson's work exhibits a profound fascination with the modern domestic sphere: how we organise it; how we arrange ourselves within it. Childbirth is considered from every angle (an over-due mother is described as "a bulbous bottle, unreliably stoppered"); the grind and elation of motherhood is anatomised; marital compromises, compensations and indignities are dissected in razor-sharp prose that veers between unbearable poignancy and side-splitting wit, often in the same sentence. The British writer has won several awards for her short fiction; her next collection, In-Flight Entertainment, is due out next year.
Three to read: Dear George and Heavy Weather (both from Dear George), Cafe Society (from Hey Yeah Right Get A Life).
--Marshal Zeringue