Soot & Boots: An Anthology of Short Festive Fiction Edited by Alan Parry From The Broken Spine This isn’t your average Christmas collection. Soot & Boots gathers some of the boldest voices in contemporary short fiction for a winter anthology that pulls no punches. Across 21 original stories, this collection reimagines the festive season with grit, grace, and a pitch-black sense of humour. This is the second short fiction release from The Broken Spine , and its first foray into holiday storytelling—think less tinsel and more tension, less cheer and more chill. These are tales set in petrol stations, half-lit homes, forgotten villages, and fractured minds. They're about people on the margins, ghosts that won’t leave, families that fracture, and the devastations that play out under fairy lights and falling snow. You’ll meet Christa and Eve, holding their silence together on a freezing forecourt. You’ll follow a ghost story that’s not so much haunting as it is heartbreak. You’ll witness ordinary lives pierced by violence, memory, and the strange rituals of the season. This is a collection for readers who want Christmas fiction that feels real —that knows not every December brings joy, and that even festive lights cast long shadows. Features work from: Alan Parry, Laura Cooney, Sadie Maskery, Ellen Harrold, Victoria Harris, Debbie Ross, Karen Walker, Colette Maxfield, Jordan River, Malcolm Timperley, Tracie Renee, Tim Tobin, David Hoffman, Sarah O’Grady, Allister Nelson, Larry Thacker, Sarah Jarvis, Irene Anne Lewis, Maria Cohut, Paul Robert Mullen. Perfect for readers who enjoy: Literary short fiction with emotional depth - Modern holiday anthologies with an edge - Atmospheric, character-driven storytelling - Voices from the UK’s indie literary scene Whether you dip in or read cover to cover, Soot & Boots is a reminder that winter isn’t always wonderland—and that’s where the most honest stories live.