Synopsis

‘There is no more carefully chosen yet eclectic anthology series in existence in Britain today’ – Susan Haigh, The Short Review

Best British Short Stories invites you to judge a book by its cover – or more accurately, by its title. This new series aims to reprint the best short stories published in the previous calendar year by British writers, whether based in the UK or elsewhere. The editor’s brief is wide ranging, covering anthologies, collections, magazines, newspapers and web sites, looking for the best of the bunch to reprint all in one volume.

Featuring: Elizabeth Baines, David Constantine, Ailsa Cox, Claire Dean, Stuart Evers, Jonathan Gibbs, Jay Griffiths, David Grubb, M John Harrison, Vicki Jarrett, Richard Knight, Philip Langeskov, Siân Melangell Dafydd, Anna Metcalfe, Louise Palfreyman, Christopher Priest, Joanne Rush, Mick Scully, Joanna Walsh and Adam Wilmington.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Jonathan Gibbs – The Faber Book of Adulter
Jay Griffiths – The Spiral Stairwell
Richard Knight – The Incalculable Weight of Water
Vicki Jarrett – Ladies’ Day
M John Harrison – Getting Out of There
Siân Melangell Dafydd – Hospital Field
David Grubb – Roof Space
Anna Metcalfe – Number Three
David Constantine – Ashton and Elaine
Louise Palfreyman – The Jewel of the Orient
Stuart Evers – What’s Going On Outside?
Elizabeth Baines – Tides or How Stories Do or Don’t Get Told
Mick Scully – The Sea in Birmingham
Ailsa Cox – Hope Fades For the Hostages
Christopher Priest – Unfinished Business
Joanna Walsh – Femme Maison
Adam Wilmington – It
Claire Dean – Glass, Bricks, Dust
Joanne Rush – Guests
Philip Langeskov – Barcelona
Contributors’ Biographies
Acknowledgements

Reviews of this Book

‘Slip this lightweight but nourishing anthology into your holiday bag. Editor Royle has selected 20 published stories from British writers. His own (excellent) taste means that little explosions of weirdness or transcendence often erupt amid much well-observed everyday life.’ —Boyd Tonkin, The Independent

‘It's so good that it's hard to believe that there was no equivalent during the 17 years since Giles Gordon and David Hughes's Best English Short Stories ceased publication in 1994. The first selection makes a very good beginning … Highly Recommended.’ —Kate Saunders

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

‘There is no more carefully chosen yet eclectic anthology series in existence in Britain today, and, what’s more, I would advise anyone embarking on this year’s stories to first cast an eye over Royle’s fascinating introduction, in which he explains as much about the stories he didn’t choose, but which almost made it into the anthology, as he does about the stories he does include.’ —Susan Haigh, The Short Review

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