Debz Hobbs-Wyatt

The first Bath Short Story Award was launched in 2012. By the time the competition ended in March 2013 there were almost 1,200 entries from all over the world, varying in content and perspective. Themes included war, love, relationship struggles, bereavement, neglect, abuse and the curious things people do.

The stories here are linked by a common theme - the choices people make or that others have made for them. A young woman makes a life-changing decision over the course of a lunch; a couple in a futuristic world have to decide whether to embrace real contact or settle for the familiar technology. And, in one story, a sister revises her relationship with her younger brother in light of his disability. This anthology reflects the best of the writing and, in the end, what makes the tale is the telling of it. When voices are strong and the prose rhythmic and lyrical, the stories that emerge are the ones we remember.

This anthology comprises the best stories from the long-list. Several of the writers have had work published or have won other story awards.