The Best Australian Stories 2015

'Some readers are drawn to the promise inherent in a novel, and it's true that the longer form can offer a slow and seductive immersion, but the short story offers pleasure of another kind - the quick fix, a shot of adrenaline to the mind and heart.'-Amanda Lohrey

In The Best Australian Stories 2015, Amanda Lohrey, winner of the Patrick White Award and author of the acclaimed novel A Short History of Richard Kline, curates twenty pieces of exceptional short fiction.

In this wide-ranging collection, there are stories that will surprise, unsettle and beguile readers. Familiar subjects are examined from new perspectives: a teenage girl sneaks into a famous film director's study and steals his diaries; the life of Picasso is reimagined in miniature vignettes. And new life is breathed into the most universal of experiences: birth, death, love and loss. The mother of a girl with hearing difficulties watches her child grow into increasing independence. A young woman makes a poignant voyage to the site of her brother's suicide.

Elegant, accomplished and evocative, these short stories move, delight and inspire.

Goldie Goldbloom - John A Scott - Claire Corbett - Cate Kennedy - Melissa Beit - Colin Oehring - Gay Lynch - Eleanor Limprecht - Julie Koh - Jo Lennan - Omar Musa - Ryan O'Neill - Sarah Klenbort - Jo Case - Balli Kaur Jaswal - Jennifer Down - Nick Couldwell - Nicola Redhouse - Annette Trevitt - Mark Smith