12 short story collections to sink into

Sometimes life doesn’t give you time to read a novel, even when what you desire is intriguing characters, layers of meaning and settings full of depth. At times like these, the short story comes into its own.

These twelve short-story collections offer everything you’re looking for from fiction, and can be read from cover to cover in a couple of sittings, or savoured story by story over a longer period, allowing you to dip in when you have some time to spare…