Cousins Across the Sea

Short stories from the countries of the Commonwealth edited by Glenys Acland and Ken Watson

The British Empire, and later the Commonwealth, was responsible for spreading the English language across the world. This selection of short stories comes from the writers of many of those countries which became part of what is now the British Commonwealth. These include:

• Canada
• England
• India
• Jamaica
• Malaysia and Singapore
• New Zealand
• Nigeria
• Northern Ireland
• Scotland
• South Africa
• Wales

The selection provides 29 stories, many by famous authors such as the Nobel Laureate Nadine Gordimer and the Nigerian Chinua Achebe, whose novel Things Fall Apart is the most widely read work of African literature. As well as containing storytelling of the highest quality, the collection has the added value of providing insights into the societies from which the stories come.

There is also a Cousins Across the Sea Teacher's Resource Book, by Glenys Acland, Ken Watson and Rachel Duke, which includes

• Using response journals
• The short story form – an introductory unit
• Activities on groups of stories
• Notes and Activities on individual stories
• Activities applicable to a range of stories
• Notes on the authors
• Some background notes on the literature of the Commonwealth

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

AFRICA

South Africa

• Nadine Gordimer The Moment Before the Gun Went Off
• Nadine Gordimer The Ultimate Safari

Botswana

• Bessie Head The Prisoner Who Wore Glasses

Nigeria

• Chinua Achebe Civil Peace
• Ben Okri In the Shadow of War

Zambia

• Ellen Banda-Aaku Sozi's Box

THE AMERICAS

Canada

• Margaret Laurence The Loons
• Margaret Atwood Gertrude Talks Back
• W.P.Kinsella The Job
• David Arnason A Girl's Story

Jamaica

• Michael Reckord Dog Food

Trinidad

• Samuel Selvon The Cricket Match

ASIA

India

• Anita Desai The Accompanist
• Paul Zacharia The Last Show

Singapore

• Catherine Lim Monster

AUSTRALASIA

Australia

• Tim Winton Neighbours
• Gayle Kennedy Life's Good When Ya Know How
• Frank Moorhouse Mechanical Aptitude
• Dal Stivens The Unicorn

New Zealand

• Janet Frame Swans
• Bernard Gadd Where to Go
• Bill Manhire Flights of Angels

UNITED KINGDOM

England

• William Sansom The Vertical Ladder
• Jan Mark Feet
• John Gordon The Place
• Gerald Kersh Something on His Mind
• Denis Norden The Stars and Stripes Forever

Northern Ireland

• Jude Collins Travel Sickness

Scotland

• Brian McCabe The Face

Wales

• Leslie Norris Snowdrops