Author Description

Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author’s brain, their soul and heart. A few pages can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere. In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted ‘Top Tens’ across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions – Why that story? Why that author? The theme itself will form the boundaries for our stories which range from well-known classics, newly told, to stories that modern times have overlooked but perfectly exemplify the theme. Throughout the volume our authors whether of instant recognition or new to you are all leviathans of literature. Some you may disagree with but they will get you thinking; about our choices and about those you would have made. If this volume takes you on a path to discover more of these miniature masterpieces then we have all gained something. With the talents on display the most difficult task is choosing only ten. Their virtuosity, their craft and ambition scare belie the difficulties that society places upon most women. Their words cannot be denied, their literary heritage is safe forever. The Old Nurse's Story by Elizabeth Gaskell The Mourner by Mary Shelley A Story of a Wedding Tour by Margaret Oliphant The Lifted Veil by George Eliot Passed by Charlotte Mew Cohen of Trinity by Amy Levy Napoleon and the Spectre by Charlotte Bronte The Phantom Coach by Amelia Edwards Irremediable by Ella D'Arcy The Indian Orphan. A Tale by Letitia Elizabeth Landon