Student Has Short Story Published

Congratulations to second year student Qian Liu who has had a short story published in the online literary magazine Books & Pieces. Qian’s short story The Inexperienced is a story about unspeakable fear, hidden vulnerability, self-reconciliation, and the kindness that we sometimes see in our fellow human beings, even total strangers, that makes life worth living. It tells the story of a middle-aged man encountering a young woman who at first seems to be an inexperienced driver, but the relationship shifts as the man turns out to be the inexperienced one when it comes to woman and romantic love.

The inspiration for the story first arrived when, as a new driver, Qian often found herself tailgated by other drivers, often male, which made her picture in her mind what she would do if her car should be forced onto the muddy field by the side of the highway. “I would storm out of my car and tell them off,’ she says. ‘And that’s how the story started.”

She adds: “I want to thank Elaine Chiew and Hannah Vincent, my amazing teachers, and my wonderful fellow classmates, who offered me invaluable feedback in the writing of this story, and many other stories. Without their insightful words and kind encouragement, I would not have come this far over the past two years in my journey as a new writer.”

You can read Qian’s Substack here: https://substack.com/@janeqianliu

If you’d like to follow in Qian’s footsteps, then the two-year Creative Writing Programme starts again in September online and in Brighton, Eastbourne, East Grinstead, Hastings, London and Worthing. We’re running taster sessions from now until late September so you can see if it’s for you.