I remember having to reel myself in quite a lot, having to resist making my characters too jaded, too weak, or too mean. It was an experiment in suspending judgement, in recognising that there’s always a reason for the way a person behaves. This award is so prestigious that honestly I didn’t think too hard about. I truly never thought I’d be shortlisted, let alone win. In “Snakebite” Meg falls into an intense relationship with Lara. Lara, motivated only by drink and sex, uses Meg for money, company and even simple bodily warmth. Every inch of us knows that Meg must rid herself of Lara, whose influence has ruined her university attendance, her relationship with her flatmates, and even her health, yet Meg clings on to Lara, because – we, too, understand – sometimes someone is better than no one. A directionless university student is taken up by beautiful, chaotic party girl Lara, who moves right into her bed and slowly destroys her life.

My favorite aspect is that every women we meet puts herself first, no matter the situation she's in. Whether it's difficult family situation, a new boyfriend and his sweet dog, or shooting a nude photo - these (disaster) women are in control.Blue’s hair is made up of tight curls that skim the waistline of her bikini bottoms. When she turns to leave, beads of water spray out from the ends and catch the sun. Jasmine shakes her head. She’s just using you to wind me up. Blue and I have been best friends since we were practically babies.

What do you know about it, small fry? says Blue. She calls the man over. You fancy buying us a drink? she says, when he arrives.a book that explores the chaos that can come of every day moments. sams emphasizes serious topics, but her humor doesn't let any of them get too heavy. we are never shown a character’s full story or full profile—they come to us in fragmentary glimpses. a diverse and poignant range of short stories about being a woman in today's society, in all its messiness and vulnerabilities. Jasmine blushes even more then. She has her eyes on her empty plate, and she looks to Stella like she might start to cry. Nico is smiling a little, amused. Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie.

The t-shirt is tight on Blue, but in a good way. It rides up to show a strip of stomach, her bellybutton as dark and perfect as the cherries she was eating. Stella squats. It takes a while for the piss to come. She’s nervous with them both watching over her like that. Her aim isn’t particularly good, and she only manages to get a little bit on Jasmine’s sting. The rest splashes up around her ankles and across Jasmine’s shins. Jasmine squeezes her eyes shut and retches. How did it feel, when your name was announced as the winner? What was going through your mind at that moment? In four of these stories, Sams attends to girls who are not quite yet in adolescence. The tenderness with which she writes “Flying Kite” is a welcome contrast to the tense fervour explored elsewhere. I was maudlin as each of the intoxicating, bristling stories in Send Nudes ended, wishing I could stay on with the girls within them a little longer. I fell for this stunning collection with a rare, consuming passion' MEGAN NOLAN

Featured Reviews

Financially, this is huge for me. Earning a living from being a writer is near-impossible in this climate, so this prize money feels unprecedented. A seriously impressive debut. Saba Sams digs into the chaos, euphoria and menace of sexual attraction, friendship and family with bravery and wit. The balance her prose strikes between observation and empathy is remarkable, and its rhythms irresistible' CHRIS POWER

Quotes from the blurb describe Saba Sam's debut as "highly perceptive and intelligent" ( Nicole Flattery) and "wry, sharp and raw" ( Emma Cline). Perhaps I should have taken heed of the fact that I didn't particularly get on with these two author's short story collections (and Daddy respectively) Show Them a Good Time)... although I have to say though that whilst this was a mixed bag, I did prefer this to the two books mentioned above. Each tale left me wanting more, whilst a couple ended with literal goosebumps. I enjoyed the brutal honesty of the current sorry state of dating - something which the book centres around. To quote the view of one of the protagonists, "Two people don't sit on either side of a screen rather than either side of a coffee table if they're going to be completely honest about themselves". There were no thrills attached and the book does what it says on the label. Ten startlingly original stories that … seem to come out of nowhere and clamp their jaws shut around you. Exploring the uneven, hazardous terrain between girlhood and womanhood, Sams expertly reveals its inherent contradictions – the rawness and intense vulnerability of teetering on the edge of something new coupled with the power and euphoria that come with self-discovery … Sams' unflinching observation yet tender empathy for each of her characters sets her apart as a bold new talentAt times I found some of the stories slightly odd, and was unable to connect at all with the characters. “Tinderloin” was an example of this, where the character seemed completely passive and distant to the reader. Maybe it could be due to the length of the stories, but some didn’t immerse me fully into the narrative. There are stories that stand out more than others, but each person who reads this will have their favourites. My own favourites were “Flying Kite” and “The Bread,” and I thought both these stories had more tenderness and emotion to them. I think this collection had a lot of promise, but some of the stories don’t hit the mark. It's fair to say that some adjectives sound better than others. Using the better adjectives is only a litle white lie, like wearing shapewear, or having lowlights put in at the salon". A seriously impressive debut. Saba Sams digs into the chaos, euphoria and menace of sexual attraction, friendship and family with bravery and wit' CHRIS POWER