Enright has assembled a collection notable for its emotional range, its openness to many voices (not all lonely) and its willingness to reflect current realities. There is no conclusive formula linking such disparate narratives, no slick exploitation of Irishness, but rather a rich interplay of themes that capture a world in transition. - Declan Kiberd, Irish Times A rich and absorbing volume, an evocation of life in Ireland which, at its finest, produces brilliantly skewering fragments written to pierce as well as gleam ... Enright's choice is a shrewd one, succeeding in typifying each writer whilst expressing their uniqueness. - Tom Adair, Scotland on Sunday A book that intoxicates you with the sheer scope and potency of the short story form, - Daragh Reddin, Metro The Granta Book of the Irish Short Story is more cherishable than canonical, and refreshingly contemporary in its selection of writers and writerly concerns. - Keith Hopper, Times Literary Supplement

Anne Enright has published essays, short stories, a non-fiction book about motherhood and four novels including The Gathering, winner of the 2007 Man Booker Prize. She lives in Dublin.