"13 March 1911 is a starkly succinct collage work that weaves together intriguing fragments of found text, all of which relate to this unremarkable day in history. Long forgotten newspaper articles are juxtaposed with extracts from personal letters, theatre reviews and advertiser's announcements. Classified personal ads reveal the needs, aspirations and poignant losses of their authors.These ultra-short stories, honed to perfection, resonate with lyrical intensity. The effect is gloriously impressionistic: sketchy, unrelated brushstrokes that come together to paint a richly evocative and seemingly complete portrait of the day.In the hands of a lesser author, this composition might fall short, but Smyth selects, edits and juxtaposes the material with a masterful touch. I found 13 March 1911 utterly compelling. I did not want this day to end.

"-- Graham Rawle, author of Woman's World (Atlantic Books), & Overland (Chatto & Windus).