Love, conflict and new beginnings; triumph, despair and loss; the comic, the tragic and the unexpected. These stand-out stories from the 2009 Bristol Short Story Prize demonstrate the infinite possibilities short fiction offers in a vibrant collection brimming with fresh styles and unique voices. From modern-day Manhattan to Second World War Swansea; from South Carolina to South Africa; from the football terrace to the front room; from vast terrain to domestic claustrophobia; these previously unpublished tales introduce an international line-up of very gifted storytellers who are able to conjure up complete worlds in what appears to be a handful of mind-blowing sentences.