Short but sweet

We’re busier than ever and our attention spans are lower as a result. Can’t focus? Short stories may be the answer

Ghost Lover by Lisa Taddeo

The much-anticipated debut collection by the bestselling author of Three Women is one to look out for. In these 12 gripping tales, two of which have won the Pushcart Prize for short stories, Taddeo explores the fever of obsession, the blindness of love and the mania of grief. Bloomsbury, £16.99, out 14th June

Anonymous Sex edited by Hillary Jordan and Cheryl Lu-lien Tan

Twenty-seven well-known writers unleash their imaginations with these erotic stories. There’s teenage experimentation, sex in the afterlife, married couples pushing boundaries and illicit encounters between strangers. Can you guess who penned which tale? The Borough Press, £14.99, out now

Send Nudes by Saba Sams

Saba Sams explores the complexities and contradictions of girlhood in this collection of 10 fresh and thought-provoking stories. Covering everything from intense friendships to uneasily blended families and learning to truly live in your own body, it’s no wonder it’s receiving a lot of buzz. Bloomsbury, £14.99, out now

First Person Singular by Haruki Murakami

‘If writing novels is like planting a forest, then writing short stories is more like planting a garden,’ Murakami once said. The Norwegian Wood author once again shows his masterful grasp of the form with this new book of eight stories all told in the first person. Occasionally, a narrator may or may not be Murakami himself. Is it memoir or fiction? You decide. Vintage, £9.99, out 5th April

My Pen Is The Wing Of A Bird: New Fiction by Afghan Women

Everyone has a story – and every story matters. This is the philosophy at the heart of this anthology of short fiction by Afghan women reflecting on the perilous state of their home country. Powerful and profound, it has been developed over the last two years through Untold, a writer development programme for marginalised writers in areas of conflict, and it marks the first time these 18 writers have had the opportunity to have their work published.

Maclehose Press, £12, out now