Short stories, big hearts: ten collections worth reading

Sometimes, when you’re reading, you want to dip in and out. To read a story from start to finish, savouring the words and the rhythm of the story. There’s something deeply satisfying about finishing a tale in one sitting, especially when it lingers like perfume on skin. Short stories, at their best, are emotional distillations. They open small doors to large truths, inviting empathy, surprise, and sometimes awe. Here are ten collections that do just that.

The incredible shrinking novel: why short fiction is having a big moment

In a world of content overload, time-poor readers are gravitating toward something they can actually finish: short novels. Once the preserve of indie publishers and experimental authors, the slim literary novel is now front and centre, scooping prizes, going viral on BookTok, and dominating bookshop displays.

From Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These to Samantha Harvey's Orbital, these compact works of fiction pack a punch around 200 pages. No filler. No indulgent middle act. Just distilled intensity, executed with precision.