The Best New Zealand Fiction

'It always begins with a body,' or at least so begins Fiona Farrell's page-turning mystery in this anthology of superb stories, offering a lively and fresh sampling of what is being written now. Selected by Fiona Kidman, they come from our top writers: both well-established and new; those based permanently in New Zealand and those who have recently spent time here. From making love to a legless woman and collecting 'no evil' monkeys, to touring Holocaust memorials or working as a matron in a 1916 lunatic asylum, the elements in this diverse collection bring a new perspective on our living literature. Taken from periodicals and magazines published within the last few years, from extracts of future novels and from experiments and explorations hot off the word processor, this is a vibrant and entertaining compilation. There are riveting love stories, quintessential New Zealand scenes as well as overseas perspectives, reassessments of the past and astute renditions of the present, both painful and funny pieces and lines that will provoke wry recognition: 'She wasn't talking to him, and he wasn't talking to her. It was over the dog.' Contributors: Norman Bilbrough, Tracy Farr, Fiona Farrell, Maurice Gee, James George, Patricia Grace, Katie Henderson, Stephanie Johnson, Lloyd Jones, Craig Marriner, Owen Marshall, Kelly Ana Morey, Julian Novitz, Vincent O'Sullivan, Sarah Quigley, Nadine Ribault, Louise Wareham, Peter Wells, Albert Wendt , Judith White