The Oxford Book of Scottish Short Stories

Douglas Dunn's eclectic selection displays the marvellous range of Scottish story-telling, beginning with three early traditional tales, and including a wealth of writers from the last three centuries: amongst them Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, J.M. Barrie, Violet Jacob, Neil Gunn, Eric Linklater, Alasdair Gray, James Kelman, and younger talents such as Ronald Frame, Janice Galloway, and A.L. Kennedy.


This is the most substantial anthology of short stories from Scotland to appear in some years, and as such should be welcomed.... a comprehensive overview of the development of the short story in Scotland.--The List

Every story here, without exception, contains the verb to say. These stories embody the 'speak' of those places which help to comprise the small but complex, multifarious nation we call ours. In this way they embellish the term Scottish in the volume's title, and help subtly to define it.--Stewart Conn, Scotland on Sunday

It is a thorough, bread-and-butter summation of the best and the wisest, the most famous and the more cobwebbed exponents of the form.--Bella Bathurst, The Scotsman

This enthralling anthology features Dunn's favorites and a fine lot they are.--Alan Bold, The Herald

The great value of this anthology is that it shows us what we have been missing.... Dunn's introduction is fascinating and informative.... OUP has produced several anthologies of short stories based around culture or nationhood. This is a welcome and worthy addition to that series.--Sunderland Echo

The rollcall of names in this collection is impressive.--The Irish Times