Guilty Secrets is the latest collection of brand-new crime writing by members of the Crime Writers’ Association, published by Flame Tree in a very handsome edition. With this collection, I’m celebrating thirty years as editor of the CWA anthology. I can vividly remember the first time I came across a CWA anthology; I received a copy as a Christmas present at the age of about thirteen, when I was already determined to make a life for myself as a crime writer. It was the first time I’d heard of the CWA, and of course I never imagined that one day I would myself have the privilege compiling new editions of the Association’s annual anthology.
The excitement of the job never palls. The years have flown by, but one thing has stayed the same, and that is the delight I experience in receiving new work from contributors ranging from international bestsellers to newcomers to the genre. The only downside is having to turn down some good stories, because inevitably space is finite.
So how do I set about the task?
I begin by picking a theme for the book. Originally, CWA anthologies didn’t have a connecting theme, and often contained previously printed stories. My aim was to achieve freshness and variety, but I also wanted the book to have a recognisable identity – a theme broad and interesting enough to fire writers’ imagination. I’m very happy for contributors interpret the theme freely, as long as they don’t lose sight of it altogether.
What about word count? Variety in length of stories is, I think, desirable in a book of this kind. However, I bear in mind that if I have several very long stories (say, in excess of 7500 words), that will reduce the number of stories that can be included in the book.
A good anthology of short stories should offer readers a voyage of discovery. Naturally, some types of mystery appeal more to some readers than to others, but what I’m trying to do is to come up with an overall mix that is rich enough in merit to offer entertainment for everyone. The editorial role gives me the chance to see how contemporary mystery writers from the UK and much further afield (Guilty Secrets features contributors from New Zealand and the United States) are developing the genre. Guilty Secrets contains several fascinating experiments with story structure, including two stories – otherwise quite distinct from each other – told in ‘dossier’ format, one told in reverse chronology, and another which wittily updates the ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ story. Such inventiveness demonstrates that the short story is a wonderful form for testing out unusual methods of storytelling.
I’m also delighted to say that more than half of the authors whose stories appear in Guilty Secrets have never previously had a story in a CWA anthology. It’s a special pleasure to have the chance to introduce their work to new readers. And of course, if one or more of the stories is nominated for or wins an award – and that’s happened many times over the years – it really is the icing on the cake. What more could any editor wish for?
Guilty Secrets is published by Flame Tree on July 21
