Let's get it right: life is a blurring of lines. And so too, magic realism. Someone once said it's all in the reaction: you take your kid out for ice cream, and the cone keeps melting, solidifying and re-melting, slinking down your kid's wrist and up again as you walk through the park arguing painfully. Reaction? You just watch it happening, and maybe worry about your kid's state of mind. 

That's magic realism. 

If you screech 'what the hell?' and run for the nearest newspaper/scientist/ex-boyfriend to find an EXPLANATION for the magic ice cream, it's probably a Hollywood blockbuster.

Magic realism includes the magic to amplify the experiences we need to pay attention to in the real world. It also flips the script and brings attention to the magic IN the ordinary. It acknowledges that life is weird and strange and unexpected...and fun. It's social. Political. Personal.

If you think you don't fancy magic realism, I urge you to try any of these 14 lovelies - presented in random order, because I love them all, novels and short stories. And one popped one for extra: mine own, This One Sky Day [Faber & Faber, April 15th, 2021] Some of these books have 'more' magic than others, but all embrace the idea that we live in a strange world, where anything is possible.