The most prestigious short story competition in Britain led to the publication in 1998 of the first volume of Shorts, which was a number one bestseller for six weeks in Scotland. This is now the third collection to follow that initial success. Having already launched the writing careers of several new authors, this year's collection, selected from over 2,000 entries to the Macallan and Scotland on Sunday Short Story competition, represents the cream of Scottish writing. Edited and selected by the award-winning author, Ali Smith, this volume brings together established writers alongside a wealth of talented new voices.
Ali Smith was born in Inverness in 1962. She studied at the University of Aberdeen and Newham College, Cambridge. Her first book, Free Love and Other Stories (1995) won the Saltire First Book of the Year award and a Scottish Arts Council Book Award. Her novel Autumn was shortlisted for the 2017 Man Booker. She lives in Cambridge.