NZ Short Stories

The short story has been the forte of distinguished New Zealand writers from Katherine Mansfield and Frank Sargeson through to fresh young talents such as Eleanor Catton and Craig Cliff. There could be no better guide to a sampler of their best work than Owen Marshall, who has been called New Zealand's best living writer of short stories. Marshall's indispensible collection features fifty arresting and significant stories that show why short fiction has been so important in the development of our literature, and also why it co... read more

In this definitive collection by one of New Zealand's best-loved authors, Witi Ihimaera offers his personal choice of twenty-four stories from throughout his illustrious career. The pieces span more than thirty-five years - since his first collection, Pounamu Pounamu (1972), was published - and showcase the range, originality and humanity of this truly amazing writer. First published 2003.

The Penguin Book of Contemporary New Zealand Short Stories, edited by acclaimed novelist Paula Morris, provides a fascinating snapshot of New Zealand fiction in the early twenty-first century. The 31-story collection includes significant work from our foremost fiction writers - including C. K. Stead, Patricia Grace, Fiona Kidman, Witi Ihimaera, Damien Wilkins, Owen Marshall, Vincent O'Sullivan, Fiona Farrell and Emily Perkins - alongside exciting work by a strong group of new, younger rising literary stars, such as Eleanor Catt... read more

These stories happened decades ago or yesterday, in a pulpit, garden, airport, cupboard, train or bed. Twenty-six women, young and old, talk about moments when sex (or abstaining from sex) changed their lives in some way. Today, they all live in New Zealand's most prim and proper city ...but their sexual epiphanies occurred all around the world. First published January 2010.

First published in 1984, Some Other Country quickly became established as New Zealand’s essential single-volume anthology of short stories, and has since been enjoyed by many thousands of visitors, students and readers of all kinds. Now this fourth edition adds four new writers, bringing the collection completely up to date with the diverse energies of New Zealand life and writing. It includes well-known stories by major writers including Vincent O’Sullivan, Joy Cowley, C. K. Stead, Owen Marshall and Keri Hulme, along... read more

A collection of stunning depth and playful breadth. It's comic, sardonic, capricious and strange, and it takes us on some wild journeys through elemental environments. the almost possible and the barely imaginable.It's Keri Hulme..back again. Three of the 19 stories have appeared in Sport. First published 2004.

This story collection by Paula Morris roams the globe and ranges widely in subject matter. From Sunset Boulevard to the beaches of Auckland, from the Bund in Shanghai to the banks of the Danube, from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Hammersmith Flyover, from post-Katrina New Orleans to Fire Island . . . the stories of Forbidden Cities explore places of escape, transgression, ambition, delusions, and desire. First published October 2008.

New Zealanders live 'in temporary shacks, uneasily, as reluctant campers too far from home', wrote Anna Kavan in a London magazine in 1943. Her seemingly negative comments created a stir both in the UK and New Zealand and suggested Kavan felt nothing but antipathy for the country. However, in researching this prize-winning author of nineteen books, Dr Jennifer Sturm uncovered letters and unpublished short stories written during Kavan's sojourn in New Zealand that show a more complex, affectionate and significant response. Those sto... read more

Vulnerable gods and goddesses; Children born with unusual gifts; Birds with bad timing; Insects having sex. Once Upon a Time in Aotearoa explores a world where mythological characters and stories become part of everyday life. Old and new worlds co-exist, cultures mingle and magic happens. Familiar characters appear, but in these versions the gods live in a contemporary world and are motivated by human concerns. In this perplexing world, characters connect with each other and find ancient wisdom that carries them through.

Have times changed?

A new edition of the short stories from the father of modern New Zealand writing and the man who introduced the speech of ordinary New Zealanders to our literature and took it to the international stage.

In 16 short stories Carolyn Young skewers love, trust and commitment - and her delineating eye leads unerringly to that vital moment in relationships when fate hangs in the balance. Her range is astonishing, her vision unique.

Being a celebrity impersonator, says the Aussie Elton John, is like living your life as a moon. 'We give up identity and become just a reflection of another personality, like the moon having no fire of its own and be just a pale reflection of the sun when it's not there.' This new collection of stories from master short fiction writer Owen Marshall is rich in people exploring their identities and how they are affected by others. There's Patrick, whose life is radically alerted by a random encounter with a killer; widowed Margaret, ... read more

First published 1997.

A collection of new short stories. An elderly woman gathers firewood on the beach while at home her appliances fall apart.Willie falls in love with a statue. Petina tells her old schoolfriend Raycharles that she i™s looking for a father for her baby.Rona curses the Moon . . . These and more make up the fabric of this stunning new collection from a fiction writer now at the peak of her powers. First published October 2006.

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Wonderful short stories featuring characters as diverse as a woman arranging a second wife for her husband, little girls glued to the phone, and a widow who hears an octopus call her name. With poignant insights and sharp wit, this is a book to dip into and devour. “Johnson confirms her place as one of our best storytellers.” — NZ Herald.

A city boy finds work on a farm – with unexpected consequences; a car breakdown triggers a change in a young couple’s relationship; a girl finds love in a rural community – or does she The stories in J.T. Wilson’s first collection are both accessible and absorbing. He has had immense success – and media interest – from selling his stories on the street. The busking story-teller is a familiar sight on Sydney streets, and in other major cities in Australia and New Zealand. It’s a two-way thing, ... read more

A selection by Witi Ihimaera of his best short stories from throughout his career – beginning with A Game of Cards from his now-classic Pounamu Pounamu (1972) and finishing with Going to the Heights of Abraham, a story by a mature Witi about his relationship with his father. Included are 11 stories previously unpublished in an author’s anthology.

Fiona Kidman has a genius for peeling back the lives of ordinary people to reveal their hidden passions and complexities. In this brilliant new collection, she explores - with her customary subtlety and insight - how we are all touched and sometimes scarred by the flames of emotion - whether it be the impossible love of a pregnant woman for a married man, grief for a dead baby or loss of a young woman in mysterious circumstances. Ranging in time from the colonial period to the present day, these stories by one of New Zealand's fore... read more