Collected Stories

Since the publication of *Secrets and Other Stories* in 1977, Bernard MacLaverty has been celebrated as one of the finest living short-story writers. Writing in the *New York Times*, William Boyd summoned the shades of Yeats, Joyce and Flann O'Brien, insisting that ‘MacLaverty sits perfectly comfortably’ in their company. The *Guardian *simply said ‘MacLaverty is a master.’

Melding his native Irish sensibilities to those of his adopted west-coast Scotland, these tales attend to life’s big events: love and loss, separation and violence, death and betrayal. But the stories teem with smaller significant moments too – private epiphanies, chilling exchanges, intimate encounters. A writer of great compassion, insight and humanity, MacLaverty surprises us time and again with the sensitivity of his ear, the accuracy of his eye. Each of these extraordinary stories – with their wry, self-deprecating humour, their elegance and subtle wisdom – gets to the very heart of life.

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*The Collected Short Stories* includes most of *Secrets, A Time to Dance, The Great Profundo, Walking the Dog* and *Matters of Life & Death*.