Vincent O'Sullivan

The Oxford book of New Zealand short stories

Unknown to many readers in the United States, New Zealand enjoys a rich tradition of short fiction dating back well into the nineteenth-century. Now there is a book that brings together a wide range of these marvelous tales in one handsome, compact volume. The Oxford Book of New Zealand Short Stories brings together the new and the old, the traditional and the experimental. Nineteenth-century writing is represented by authors as Henry Lawson, Lady Barker, Clara Cheeseman and G.B. Lancaster, some of whose stories are collected here for the first time. In more recent times the genre has attracted the talents of Katherine Mansfield, Frank Sargeson, Dan Davin, Maurice Gee, Janet Frame, and Greville Texidor, all of whom are included here. A unique feature of this splendid anthology is the inclusion of works by such leading Maori writers as Patricia Grace and Witi Ihimaera (there is a helpful glossary of Maori and Samoan words in an appendix), and a whole new generation of writers, including Peter Wells and Keri Hulme. For anyone who appreciates great literature, The Oxford Book of New Zealand Short Stories will offer some fascinating surprises along with hours of good reading.