A group of teenage boys take turns assessing each other's changing bodies before a Friday night disco... A grieving woman strikes up an unlikely friendship with a fellow traveller on a night train to Kiev... An unusually well-informed naturalist is eyed with suspicion by his comrades on a forest exhibition with a higher purpose... The stories shortlisted for the 2021 BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University take place in liminal spaces - their characters find themselves in transit, travelling along flight paths, train lines and roads, or in moments where new opportunities or directions suddenly seem possible. From the reflections of a new mother flying home after a funeral, to an ailing son's reluctance to return to the village of his childhood, these stories celebrate small kindnesses in times of turbulence, and demonstrate a connection between one another that we might sometimes take for granted. The BBC NSSA is one of the most prestigious prizes for a single short story, with the winning author receiving GBP15,000, and four further shortlisted authors GBP600 each. James Runcie is joined on the judging panel by a group of acclaimed writers and critics including: Booker Prize shortlisted novelist Fiona Mozley; award winning writer, poet and winner of the Desmond Elliott Prize, Derek Owusu; multi-award winning Irish novelist and short story writer, Donal Ryan; and returning judge, Di Speirs, Books Editor at BBC Radio.

'An excellent debut novel, definitely in my top ten of the year.' - Scott Pack, The Bookseller 'Rhodes asks important questions about social justice, but also tells a compelling human story. An impressive debut' - Mary Fitzgerald, New Statesman, 20 October 2006 'A-S-B-O - you think that makes you special. But it doesn't. It means you were stupid enough to get caught, that's all. I should have one. I should have the biggest ASBO there is. I want a poster with my face on.' When JB is served with an ASBO for joy-riding and sent to paint beach huts for the summer in Kent, it looks as if he has a chance to turn his life around. But then he encounters Moey and his gang, and his future seems to hang in the balance. Separated from his mother and under a strict curfew, only his attraction to Sal seems to give him a reason to keep going. But a storm is coming that threatens to shatter his hopes and destroy the relationship that could redeem him

After a year of dead end jobs and killing time, Scottie comes to a decision that will change his life forever. It will bring him more money than he's ever known, teach him skills he's never imagined, lead him to discover things about himself he'd never have believed. It will carry him from the sink estate of his birth to a land that's foreign in every conceivable way. And it will bring him home again across thousands of miles to a confrontation with an undeniable truth.

In 1989, 18-year-old John Finch spends his Saturdays following Nottingham Forest up and down the country, and the rest of the week trudging the streets of his hometown as a postal worker. Leading inexorably towards the FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough, the worst sporting disaster on British history, 'Fan' glides between 1989 and 2004, when the true impact of this tragic day becomes evident.

Fan is a book about personal and collective tragedy. It's about growing up and not growing up, about manhood and about what makes a man, and about football's role in reflecting a society never more than a brick's throw away from shattering point.

Dark, haunting and deeply personal, Danny Rhodes' heart-felt novel explodes with gut-wrenching emotion and exposes how disaster can not only affect a life, but change its course for ever.

In 1989, 18-year-old John Finch spends his Saturdays following Nottingham Forest up and down the country, and the rest of the week trudging the streets of his hometown as a postal worker. Leading inexorably towards the FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough, the worst sporting disaster on British history, 'Fan' glides between 1989 and 2004, when the true impact of this tragic day becomes evident.

Still lost? "It's Your Decision, An Alternate Step" just may be the answer you are looking for. You have not yet found sanctuary from the devastation of alcoholism in the current forms of treatment available. You are not alone. You have tried Alcoholics Anonymous and they couldn't do it, and you are not a seeker of "Higher Powers" to save your butt. That leaves you in a dead zone most people will tell you is impossible to recover from. AA believes an alcoholic will never recover; you are forever in a recovery mode. Day by day. This author has a different view. AA can't help you. No higher power is going to help you. The author of this book can't help you. Take a long hard look in a mirror. Although you look similar to the reflection staring back at you, what you see and how others see you are actually two different people. So who has the best view of that image in the mirror? That answer may be a key to the end results you are searching for.

BURST WORLD RELIGIONS STUDENT BOOKLETS PACK OF 5. Short-term youth group programming on provocative subjects. Four lessons that explore the practices, beliefs, and emphases of Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism Youth study how each tradition differs from Christianity as well as where they share common ground. Includes ideas, instructions, and suggestions for arranging trips to other houses of worship or inviting guest speakers to discuss other faith traditions. Sessions involve provocative discussion starters, experiential learning activities, games, snacks, and options for breaking into small groups.

Each short-term study includes 4-6 weeks worth of material and is ideal for Sunday school or Wednesday night youth group. Components include a Leader's Guide, a package of five pocket-sized student booklets, and a Web-based resource (www.Burst.AbingdonYouth.com) providing articles, fact sheets, handouts, and links to other relevant Web resources. Topics appeal both to teens and youth ministers and address the need for inexpensive, practical studies. "

BURST WORLD RELIGIONS LEADERS GUIDE Short-term youth group programming on provocative subjects. Four lessons that explore the practices, beliefs, and emphases of Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism Youth study how each tradition differs from Christianity as well as where they share common ground. Includes ideas, instructions, and suggestions for arranging trips to other houses of worship or inviting guest speakers to discuss other faith traditions. Sessions involve provocative discussion starters, experiential learning activities, games, snacks, and options for breaking into small groups.

Each short-term study includes 4-6 weeks worth of material and is ideal for Sunday school or Wednesday night youth group. Components include a Leader's Guide, a package of five pocket-sized student booklets, and a Web-based resource (www.Burst.AbingdonYouth.com) providing articles, fact sheets, handouts, and links to other relevant Web resources. Topics appeal both to teens and youth ministers and address the need for inexpensive, practical studies. This product is also available through download "