Students publish new anthology of stories inspired by Suffolk

A new anthology of original short stories penned by students at the University of Suffolk and inspired by locations in the county has been released.

Work: An Anthology of Original Suffolk Stories is the fifth collection of new writing released by students on the MA Creative and Critical Writing course, with the new volume imaginatively exploring the world of work and how it connects to Suffolk.

Each story connects to a specific location in the county, including muddy potato fields in rural Hitcham, a village community fighting to save a local pub in Somersham, a work-weary woman navigating the weekly Ipswich market and George Orwell’s wife attempting domestic bliss in Southwold.

The stories will entertain and delight, while offering thoughtful reflections on the nature of work and human life.

The new anthology includes a foreword by award-winning novelist, poet and critic, Ashley Hickson-Lovence, a Senior Visiting Fellow in Creative Writing at the University of Suffolk.

He said: “As a reader, you feel as though you’re being guided through the streets, fields, factories and coastlines of Suffolk.

“These writers offer windows into different lives and different labours, all set within landscapes that feel real and recognisably local.”

In addition, the collection includes the longlisted and winning stories for the 2025 Student New Angle Prize Writing Awards, a competition which runs alongside the prestigious New Angle prize for Writing and the Creative Suffolk Author Award sponsored by the University of Suffolk.

Ben Collins is among the students to have contributed to the new anthology, with the primary school supply teacher taking inspiration from his work volunteering at a community pub in Somersham for his story.

He was inspired to join the course after reading some stories in a previous anthology, Suffolk Folk.

He said: “I wanted to write stuff that I wouldn’t have written if I hadn’t been on the course, and I probably wouldn’t have written about work.

“Suffolk isn’t one of those places that you feel is in the wider consciousness, but there is so much going on that people aren’t aware of. That is something really appealing about the anthologies – they are promoting our county.”

The latest book follows on from successes in the previous anthology series, which has resulted in writers performing their stories on BBC and community radio.

In addition, short stories from the anthologies have been serialised in Suffolk Magazine, including a story from Work in the October edition, while the books and stories have also featured on social media and podcasts, with a readership spanning across Europe and as far away as New Zealand.

Dr Lindsey Scott, Course Leader for MA Creative and Critical Writing, said: “This fifth anthology celebrates both continuity and renewal – the enduring creativity of our students and the evolving stories of Suffolk’s people and places.”

The University’s first anthology, Suffolk Folk, was released in 2021 and explored the county’s myths and folktales for a contemporary audience.

In 2022, that was followed by Suffolk Arboretum, which took inspiration from Suffolk’s trees and woodlands, before the county’s waterways were immortalised in 2023’s Suffolk Reflections.

Last year, Suffolk Haunts hit the bookshelves, sharing ghostly tales and local superstitions. Together, the anthologies celebrate the power of storytelling, share tales rooted in the county and continue the University’s mission to nurture new literary voices.

The books also give students important experience in writing stories to a commission, from the ideas stage right through the drafting, re-writing and editing process.

Graduates of the MA Creative and Critical Writing course have gone on to a host of successful careers, including publishing their debut novels, studying PhDs, and heading into the creative industries.

Previous writers have also been shortlisted for prestigious awards, including the Women’s Prize Discoveries Award and the Escalator New Writing Fellowship at the National Centre for Writing.

To find out more about the course, visit the website here.

Work was released on Friday 3 October, and is available in national and local bookshops as well as online.