LE PORTRAIT MAGAZINE MARCH-SEPTEMBER ISSUE | Page 67

The Pier Falls, by Mark Haddon
Mark Haddon, of The Curious Incident of a Dog in the Night-time fame,
will have his first collection of short stories published this May. The
tales touch upon themes such as war, abandonment and natural disasters,
all leading to a death of sorts, although his wife apparently asked him to
write at least one where no one dies. Haddon says the stories "are bound
together by an empathy for sometimes unlovable people in difficult
situations". If your interest is piqued, you can read the first of these, The
Pier Falls, in the New Statesman.

Barkskins, Annie Proulx
Brokeback Mountain author Annie Proulx has spent ten years working
on Barkskins and it looks set to become a bestseller even before
publication. Set in 17th-century New France and reaching all the way to
China and New Zealand, the book tells the story of two settlers and their
trials and sorrows. The book has already been picked up by Scott Rudin
Productions and a mini-series set to premiere globally in 171 countries
and 45 languages is planned. Could it be as successful as Brokeback
Mountain?

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