Changes

''Cyclops'' is lovely. It's inspired by a Longines "mystery" watch with only one hand. Mystery watches, as the name implies, display time in a cryptic way. It's a comedy of errors between a counsellor and his colleague about a client's appointment. The dialogue is sharp and very funny but the star of the show is only spoken of: the mother of Bella, the client, who is ancient and ''only gave up driving after hitting the village pillar -box and giving the finger to the postie she'd almost killed''. Who can resist a cantankerous old lady?!

''Gunner Sadler Yates'' takes its inspiration from a 1916 half-hunter officer's trench watch. These were some of the earliest wrist watches wristwatches designed to be more convenient for military men who needed both hands for weapons and equipment. It's about a working -class man who becomes a saddler and finds himself in the middle of the Great War with an officer who sympathises with the proletarian struggle. It's deeply moving, and relies on research about Neal's own grandfather, who fought in this war.

If short stories are your thing, you might also enjoy [[The Road More Travelled: Tales of those seeking refuge by David Beckler]], an anthology of humane and compassionate stories exploring many issues around the refugee crisis.Clear-sighted and with touches of humour, these stories are the antithesis of ''othering''. We've also enjoyed [[A Fanfare of Tales by Patrick C Reidy]].