As Rivers Flow — John Saul

'Oblivious to human exploits,' it says in the story 'Aire', 'rivers continue'. Twelve rivers, twelve stories. These waterways - eight in England, one in Portugal, one in Germany and two in France - are the backdrop to the meetings, partings, confrontations and imaginings in As Rivers Flow . A new love stutters into life in 1930s Liverpool; an old love dies in Paris. While a sense of menace enters the remote countryside in 'Butley', a death overshadows a gathering of people in 'Kennet'. 'Blyth' sees an artist threatened by being ousted from his Suffolk home in the first world war. In 'Elbe' four diversely connected people focus on a mighty container vessel turning in the river. Beside the Stour a tale of young people's solidarity unfolds. John Saul's first collection Call It Tender was described by The Times as 'witty and playful', proof that 'the short story is not only alive but being reinvigorated in excitingly diverse ways'. 'Hopefully,' wrote Time Out of his second collection, The Most Serene Republic: love stories from cities, 'he'll turn out a few more of the same'. The appearance of As Rivers Flow is further evidence of the rare contribution John Saul's fiction has been making to the short story in the UK.