Published Work

Daniel's first short story "Cracked/Duck" was published by Parthian Books in 2022 as part of an anthology. The collection brought together diverse voices from across Wales, including works by Lindsay Gillespie, Bethan James, Meredith Miller, Laura Morris, Jonathan Page, Matthew G. Rees, Eryl Samuel, Matthew David Scott, Carys Shannon, Anthony Shapland, and Satterday Shaw. The anthology benefited from the editorial expertise of Dr Elaine Canning. "Cracked/Duck" (2022) explores an elderly woman's final day in her Welsh home as she confronts painful memories. Through the central image of a cracked decorative duck, the story attempts to deal with themes of trauma, survival, and social class.

The story is available to buy here: https://www.parthianbooks.com/products/the-rhys-davies-short-story-award-anthology.

Recognition

"Cracked/Duck" was shortlisted for the Rhys Davies Short Story Award in 2022. The award celebrates short fiction from Welsh writers. The award was judged by Rachel Trezise and managed by the Rhys Davies Trust as well as Swansea University's Cultural Institute.

Reviews

 "The Wales represented here is mainly a pastoral one, or at least a Wales marked out by the natural impact of weather and landscape. Family bonds are frayed where they have been tied too tight in a world where the legacy of the mines and the men they bred looms large [...] Colloquial language is used well throughout, especially by Daniel Patrick Strogen where the imagery is at once beautiful and dangerous." (John-Paul Davies, Buzz Magazine Review).

"Daniel Strogen's 'Cracked/Duck' is an adventurous and complex treatment of traumatic memory written in beautifully observed dialect voice. I'll be teaching it for a long time. Knowing that it was written by a person so young makes me hopeful." (Dr Meredith Miller, Cardiff University).