by Helen Oyeyemi, Joanna Trollope, Cynan Jones, Jenni Fagan, Benjamin Markovits
First published 2017
The BBC National Short Story Award captures the electric pulse of contemporary British fiction. Each selected story represents a pinnacle of narrative craft, chosen from thousands of submissions by a distinguished panel of judges. These five stories—culled from the year's most compelling entries—showcase emerging and established voices pushing the boundaries of short-form storytelling. Writers wrestle with intimate moments of revelation, social tension, and personal transformation, capturing slices of modern life with precision and emotional depth. From urban landscapes to quiet domestic scenes, these narratives reveal the extraordinary hiding within ordinary experience. The collection represents the current pinnacle of short fiction in the United Kingdom, offering readers a concentrated burst of literary excellence.
Genres: short-stories, anthologies, british-literature, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-driven, slice-of-life
Setting: United Kingdom
Period: 2017
132 pages · Paperback · Comma Press