Published by Random House New Zealand, Auckland, 2007, 239 pages. Remnants of old price sticker on front cover, slightly worn at corners, otherwise good secondhand condition. Front endpage hans previous owner's incription.

This popular series continues with a new editor, Fiona Farrell, who has scoured the country and beyond for a sampling of the best stories being written by our writers today. She has selected a variety of voices and styles, with vivid images as diverse as a giant turtle burying its eggs in the sand, children rummaging through piles of kerbside inorganic rubbish and an eel landing on a crisp, white shirt. There are moments of tenderness and revelation, humour and insight, each story reverberating beyond the confides of the page, staying with the reader long after its end.