A debut short story collection investigating the strange and unexpected intersections of loneliness and connection.

From his car, a lonely, heartbroken man secretly watches strangers going about their lives in the comfort of their own homes; when caught, he wrecks his car in an attempt to escape. A man hears a car wreck outside his home and has a wild night of romance with a strange woman he meets at the scene. A reclusive old writer starts to believe he is becoming his own characters as he writes. A college student looks to his girlfriend’s diary for pointers on how he should act. A mother confronted with her estranged son’s death by car wreck organizes a memorial service for a list of attendees she has never met.

This collection of sixteen connected short stories investigates the ways we humans so often feel lonely and alone, yet cannot avoid having our lives be contingent upon others—often in ways we can neither see nor understand. Blackett’s characters long for meaningful connection and struggle to find it; they are too often unaware of the connections that are right in front of them.

Grandview Drive is a collection that builds on itself; the stories stand on their own, but they are strengthened by the (sometimes secret) connections they hold with each other. Blackett’s debut asks the reader to think about love and loss, loneliness and heartbreak, redemption and starting life anew.

Tim Blackett is a Canadian writer whose work has appeared in Briarpatch, [spaces], Grain Magazine and a small Saskatchewan journal called Swift, Flowing. He holds a Bachelor of Theology and a BA in English from the University of Regina, as well as a certificate in creative writing from Humber College. His short story collection, Grandview Drive, was shortlisted for two Saskatchewan book awards, and a pre-publication version placed second in the John V. Hicks Long Manuscript Award (2019). The titular story, “Grandview Drive” was longlisted for the Carter v. Cooper Short Fiction Award (2012). Blackett lives in Regina, SK.

Tim Blackett's profile page

• Winner, Saskatchewan First Book Award
• Winner, Saskatchewan Fiction Award

“Grandview Drive is an impressive debut and a welcome addition to literary fiction in Canada. The stories in this collection are smart and creative, sombre and amusing. Subtle and sly in their connections, these stories reward us with universal meditations on loneliness, insecurity, loss, and longing. You won’t soon forget these original characters and their stories. Tim Blackett is a talent to watch.”

Lisa Bird-Wilson, author of <i>Probably Ruby</i>

“Tim Blackett’s debut opens a window into sixteen linked stories about loneliness, connection, fantasy and reality. Compelling, moving, shocking, disturbing and sharp; Grandview Drive is a violently great read that will zap you like a four-thousand-pound defibrillator.”

Emily Austin, author of <i>Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead</i>