Anthologies

Deception is usually frowned on as morally unacceptable, but is it always wrong? Can hiding or distorting the truth sometimes have good effects, adding to the sum of human happiness? These ten stories are full of secrets and lies, from a light-hearted bit of fun to dark and desperate deceit; but whether harmless or evil, deception can sometimes lead to quite unexpected complications. This collection contains stories by Ray Bradbury, Roald Dahl, Maeve Binchy, V.S. Naipaul, Somerset Maugham, Frederick Forsyth, Clare Boylan, Paul Theroux, Oscar Wilde, and Joanna Trollope. (2005-10-05)

Fans of quality literature can expand their experience of the short story form with this exciting collection of unabridged works. Authors include important talents past and present and cover a bracing range of genres, from ghost stories and domestic dramas to mysteries and character studies. Ruth Rendell, Barry Unsworth, A. S. Byatt, Angela Huth, Frederic Raphael, Haruki Murakami, Alan Sillitoe, Fay Weldon, and Patrick O'Brian are among the talents represented here. Readers include such notables as Janet McTeer, Rosalind Ayres, and Walter Lewis.

In 2009, the Glyndebourne Festival of Opera reaches its 75th year. In commemoration of this event, Jeanette Winterson has brought together some of the best loved and most critically acclaimed authors writing today to pen stories inspired by opera. A foreword from Ralph Fiennes and an introduction by Jeanette Winterson are followed by: Alexander McCall Smith on Cosi Fan Tutte; Ali Smith on Fidelio; Andrew Motion on Peter Grimes; Andrew O'Hagan on Eugene Onegin; Ann Enright on Rusalka;; Colm Toibin on Pearl Fishers; Jackie Kay on The Makropulos Case; Joanna Trollope on L'Elisir d'Amore; John Mortimer on Cosi Fan Tutte; Julie Myerson on The Crowning of Poppaea; Kate Atkinson on La Traviata; Kate Mosse on Pelleas et Melisande; Lynne Truss on The Turn of the Screw; Marina Warner on Dido and Aeneas; Posy Simmonds double page of 'Glyndebourne Midsummer Night'; Ruth Rendell on Theodora; Sebastian Barry on Natoma; Toby Litt on Don Giovanni.

Short The Thoroughly Modern Collection - carefully selected from our catalogue of over 300 short stories. This stunning and original collection features a famous array of literary talent and quality performance. A unique and utterly collectable edition, with stories spanning many themes and incidents, it is also a varied and accessible way into spoken word for newcomers. MOTHERS AND FATHERS by Angela Huth read by Janet McTeer SHARED CREDIT by Frederic Raphael read by Martin Jarvis THE YEAR'S MIDNIGHT by Helen Simpson read by Harriet Walter A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING by Barry Unsworth read by Janet McTeer THE GHOST OF THE RAIN FOREST by Barry Unsworth read by Rosalind Ayres A FEELING FOR BIRDS by Lisa St. Aubin de Teran read by Janet McTeer BATTLEFIELDS by Alan Sillitoe read by Janet McTeer WHO? by Fay Weldon read by Julie Christie MRS ALCOTT DANCES NAKED IN THE RAIN by Rosie Thomas read by Janet McTeer PRESTO BARBARO by Ronal Frame read by Janet McTeer SEA LION by Douglas Hurd read by Martin Jarvis THE SONS OF UPLAND FARM by George Mackay Brown read by Martin Jarvis DRESSING UP by Angela Huth read by Rosalind Ayres TWENTY YEARS by Doris Lessing read by Rosalind Ayres HUMPHREY'S MOTHER by Penelope Mortimer read by Martin Jarvis THE HERO by Joanna Trollope read by Martin Jarvis SHREDS AND SLIVERS by Ruth Rendell read by Martin Jarvis BRUT MILLESIME by Ludovic Kennedy read by Rosalind Ayres ON SEEING THE 100% PERFECT GIRL ONE BEAUTIFUL APRIL MORNING by Haruki Murakami read by Walter Lewis BAGLADY by A.S. Byatt read by Rosalind Ayres HOTEL DES VOYAGEURS by William Boyd read by Martin Jarvis TOY BOY by Edwina Currie read by Rosalind Ayres SIMON by Patrick O'Brien read by MartinJarvis

Indulge your love for reading with this fabulous collection of original stories. With over 40 stories to choose from, this stunning collection has something for everyone. Celebrating women's fiction in all its guises, take a look at the latest stories from the bestselling authors of today and discover the bestselling authors of tomorrow. The authors you'll find in "Loves Me, Loves Me Not" include: Joanna Trollope; Katie Flynn; Rosie Harris; Anna Jacobs Maureen Lee; Carole Matthews; Nicola Cornick; and, many, many more.

• Published on the occasion of a new display at the National Portrait Gallery, London from 3 December - August 2012 • Features two new pieces by award winning author Alexander McCall Smith and Tarnya Cooper, 16th Century Curator and Deputy Director of the National Portrait Gallery, London • A major collaboration between the National Portrait Gallery, postgraduate students at the University of Bristol and the National Trust, and includes new research into the identities of the sitters In Rosy, Tracy Chevalier writes of a handsome young man with a flushed complexion as the object of homosexual desire. Minette Walters writes a poignant letter from a despairing wife. Julian Fellowes has created a biography of a resourceful woman whose husband was executed during Henry VIII's reign. Sarah Singleton relates the adventures of a spice merchant and amateur musician struggling to make his way in the world, despite his illegitimate status. Joanna Trollope tells a touching tale about the offer of a marriage proposal in the form of a letter from the sitter's intended bride. By contrast, the fantasy writer Terry Pratchett has written an amusing tale about an explorer who presented Elizabeth I with a skunk. And John Banville has seen, in the features of a man on his deathbed, the face of an admired officer serving with Cromwell's New Model Army. These short, fictional narratives build brilliantly on what can be seen in each portrait, thereby providing a new and entertaining way of looking at these intriguing images.