Best British Short Stories 2013

Synopsis

The third in a series of annual anthologies, The Best British Short Stories 2013 reprints the cream of short fiction, by British writers, first published in 2012. These stories appeared in magazines from the Edinburgh Review to Granta, in anthologies from various publishers, and in authors’ own short story collections. They appeared online at 3:AM Magazine, Fleeting and elsewhere.

This new anthology includes stories by: Charles Boyle, Regi Claire, Laura Del-Rivo, Lesley Glaister, MJ Hyland, Jackie Kay, Nina Killham, Charles Lambert, Adam Lively, Anneliese Mackintosh, Adam Marek, Alison Moore, Alex Preston, Ross Raisin, David Rose, Ellis Sharp, Robert Shearman, Nikesh Shukla, James Wall and Guy Ware.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Alison Moore – The Smell of the Slaughterhouse
• Ellis Sharp – The Writer
• Adam Marek – The Stormchasers
• Jackie Kay – Mrs Vadnie Marlene Sevlon
• Ross Raisin – When You Grow into Yourself
• Laura Del-Rivo – J Krissman in the Park
• Alex Preston – The Swimmer in the Desert
• Adam Lively – Voyage
• Charles Lambert – Curtains
• Anneliese Mackintosh – Doctors
• Robert Shearman – Bedtime Stories For Yasmin
• Nikesh Shukla – Canute
• James Wall – Dancing to Nat King Cole
• Nina Killham – My Wife the Hyena
• Charles Boyle – Budapest
• Lesley Glaister – Just Watch Me
• Guy Ware – Hostage
• MJ Hyland – Even Pretty Eyes Commit Crimes
• Regi Claire – The Tasting
• David Rose – Eleanor – The End Notes
• Contributors’ Biographies
• Acknowledgements

Reviews of this Book

‘If the aim of this collection is to show the scope of the short story, then it does so well ... Thought-provoking and highly recommended.’ —Shelley Marsden, Irish World

‘Let's hope this series becomes an annual fixture.’ —Chris Power, The Guardian

‘If you are new to short stories or are going to get only one short story collection this year then we recommend this one highly’ —Lovereading UK

‘An awesome anthology from an exciting publisher. Features some writers you know, alongside those you’ll hear more of in the future.’ —Waterstones, Reading

‘Stories that linger long after the first reading, and many that demand to be read again.’ —hilaireinlondon.wordpress.com

‘Nicholas Royle’s affair with all things uncanny shines through.’ —Clare Conlon, Bookmunch

‘Royle’s (excellent) taste means that little explosions of weirdness or transcendence often erupt amid much well-observed everyday life.’ —Boyd Tonkin, The Independent

‘Highly recommended’ —Kate Saunders, The Times