A collection of stories written in duet.Eight highly original stories, each woven from the joint inspiration of two amazing writers.Sixteen celebrated authors respond, play, twist and develop their story in turn. Without the certainty of being in full control, Duets brings a new dimension to the drama of reading and writing.

'A major talent' Hilary MantelShortlisted for the Edge Hill Short Story PrizeWhether seeking knowledge, riches, or a better life, the characters in these stories are united by a quest for lasting value, as they ask how we should treat our world, our work, our selves, and each other. A vainglorious mine owner dreams of harnessing all of nature to the machinery of commerce. Two ladies of a certain age hunt rare butterflies in a pre-First Worl...

**A Most Anticipated Book of August at The MillionsFrom the Winner of the BBC National Short Story Award“Jo Lloyd has drawn out all the intensity and latent power of short fiction. . . . A major talent.”―Hilary Mantel“Her sentences could rouse the dead (and do, in this excellent book).”―Karen Russel**lIn Something Wonderful, prize-winning author Jo Lloyd has crafted nine stories that delight in language and shine with wit, wisdom, and deep humanity....

A young boy takes delight in his mother’s ability to shapeshift from one animal to another, only realisinghow odd she is when it comes to parents’ evening . . .The values of a small farming village are challenged by talk of a well-heeled community living on the other side of the lake that only one person can see . . .A writer researching the life of a 19th century child custody reformer discovers all too many parallels between that century and ours . . .The s...

Can you feel your faith slipping away? Are you or a loved one questioning what you’ve always believed?You are not alone. Come on a journey with others who have lost their religion but have found themselves.If you’re wondering whether there’s life on the other side of deconversion, or if you’re trying desperately to understand a loved one who is losing their faith—this book is for you. Edited by philosophy of religion scholar, Sarah Bacaller, with a foreword...