Our world has been conjured by the talented writers collected here. These wonderful and evocative stories have a truly international flavour, taking us from icy Alaska to the burnt outback of Australia, and include tales of murder, loss of innocence, revenge, heroism and hope. This vibrant collection contains new stories by Helen Dunmore, Trezza Azzopardi, Helen Simpson, Louise Doughty, Marina Warner and Lynne Truss plus twelve stories from the unpublished writers who were shortlisted for the Asham Short-Story Prize 2005. Asham House in Sussex was once home to Virginia and Leonard Woolf and is the inspiration behind the Asham Award. Launched in 1996 to support and encourage new writers, it is Britain’s only prize for short stories by women.