PETER BARRON, MARK CHAPPELL, MICHAEL DREW, FRAN EDWARDS, JOHN RIDSDALE, CHRIS LLOYD AND CHRISSIE ROBINSON

The Brightwater Anthology is an initiative of Discover Brightwater, a land partnership funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and created to “restore, reveal and celebrate life around the River Skerne” in County Durham, Northern England. (“Skerne” derives from the Norse word skirr, meaning “bright” and “shining”.) Its programmes are focused on improving the area’s environmental and cultural heritage, from preserving wildlife to showcasing stories with the Skerne at their centre.

In these five short stories (all winners of the Brightwater Short Story Competition 2022) and four essays, the Skerne bears witness to a frenzy of treasure hunters; memories of heartbreak and profound love; family legacies defended and reassessed; a disastrous yet colourful train crash; shorthorn cattle superstars; a man defying an overwhelming diagnosis; and a group of veterans building a Viking longboat.

A historic watercourse meandering all of twenty-five miles, the Skerne thus evokes a range of stories and characters all shaped by its peaceable, determined journey.