InThe Best Australian Stories2015, Amanda Lohrey, winner of the Patrick White Award and author of the acclaimed novelA Short History of Richard Kline, curates twenty pieces of exceptional short fiction. InThe Best Australian Stories2015, Amanda Lohrey, winner of the Patrick White Award and author of the acclaimed novelA Short History of Richard Kline, curates twenty pieces of exceptional short fiction. In this wide-ranging collection, there are stories that will surprise, unsettle and beguile readers. Familiar subjects are examined from new perspectives- a teenage girl sneaks into a famous film director's study and steals his diaries; the life of Picasso is reimagined in miniature vignettes. And new life is breathed into the most universal of experiences- birth, death, love and loss. The mother of a girl with hearing difficulties watches her child grow into increasing independence. A young woman makes a poignant voyage to the site of her brother's suicide. Elegant, accomplished and evocative, these short stories move, delight and inspire. Goldie Goldbloom * John A. Scott * Claire Corbett * Cate Kennedy * Melissa Beit * Colin Oehring * Gay Lynch * Eleanor Limprecht * Julie Koh * Jo Lennan * Omar Musa * Ryan O'Neill * Sarah Klenbort * Jo Case * Balli Kaur Jaswal * Jennifer Down * Nick Couldwell * Nicola Redhouse * Annette Trevitt * Mark Smith 'Some readers are drawn to the promise inherent in a novel, and it's true that the longer form can offer a slow and seductive immersion, but the short story offers pleasure of another kind - the quick fix, a shot of adrenaline to the mind and heart.' Amanda Lohrey