What do you think?
100 NZ Short Short Stories
Book by Graeme Lay, ed
- GenresShort StoriesFiction
229 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
About the author
Graeme Lay
65 books13 followersGraeme Lay is a prolific writer, editor and manuscript assessor. He has published or anthologised forty works of fiction and non-fiction, including novels for adults and young adults, three collections of short stories and three of travel writing. He has been Books Editor for North & South magazine and for over twenty years was secretary of the Frank Sargeson Trust.
Graeme began writing short stories in the late 1970s. His first novel, The Mentor, was published in 1978 and his first collection of short stories, Dear Mr Cairney, in 1985. Since then he has won the Lilian Ida Smith Award (1988) and was named Reviewer of the Year at the Montana New Zealand Book Awards (1998). Graeme is a three-time finalist in the New Zealand Travel Writer of the Year Award. He has also twice been a finalist in the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards and was also included on the 2002 Storylines Notable Senior Fiction List. In the late 1990s and early 2000s he devised and edited five collections of New Zealand short short stories.
From the 1990s onwards, after travelling to New Caledonia and Rarotonga, Graeme developed a deep interest in the islands of the South Pacific and the history and culture of that region’s peoples. Many of his books, both fiction and non-fiction, are set in the South Pacific. His latest novels, a trilogy based on the life of the famous English explorer James Cook, all became best sellers. They were: The Secret Life of James Cook (2012), James Cook’s New World (2013) and James Cook’s Lost World (2015).
Graeme began writing short stories in the late 1970s. His first novel, The Mentor, was published in 1978 and his first collection of short stories, Dear Mr Cairney, in 1985. Since then he has won the Lilian Ida Smith Award (1988) and was named Reviewer of the Year at the Montana New Zealand Book Awards (1998). Graeme is a three-time finalist in the New Zealand Travel Writer of the Year Award. He has also twice been a finalist in the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards and was also included on the 2002 Storylines Notable Senior Fiction List. In the late 1990s and early 2000s he devised and edited five collections of New Zealand short short stories.
From the 1990s onwards, after travelling to New Caledonia and Rarotonga, Graeme developed a deep interest in the islands of the South Pacific and the history and culture of that region’s peoples. Many of his books, both fiction and non-fiction, are set in the South Pacific. His latest novels, a trilogy based on the life of the famous English explorer James Cook, all became best sellers. They were: The Secret Life of James Cook (2012), James Cook’s New World (2013) and James Cook’s Lost World (2015).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 31, 2018
A contest was held in New Zealand, who could write a good short story using 500 words or less. I always thought short stories were long stories made shorter! But now after reading Jack London, Carson McCullers and now this book I have the opinion that a good short story is more about character than the story plot. This book is a lot of fun. If you get a chance read "The Hat" by Judy Parker and "Butterflies" by Patricia Grace.
April 22, 2020
These stories are 500 words or less. Highlights for me were :- "Nobody Wanted To Be Indians" by Witi Ihimaera. "Butterflies" by Patricia Grace, "Kaha" by Linda Chatterton, "Sacrifice to the Volcano God" by Witi Ihimaera.
December 29, 2020
A handful gems in here but overall this collection of shorts really reminded me why I generally don't care for New Zealand literature at all. Dry, gutless, pandering and cringe-inducing tales of ordinary Kiwi life that left me rolling my eyes and sighing in bored frustration all the way through.
It feels as though the vast majority of NZ fiction pretty much boils down to, "This is what it's like to live in New Zealand!" Speaking as a New Zealander...I know.
Mind you, I'm not a middle-aged, middle-class, Labour-voting white person from Wellington. So I guess I'm just not the demographic New Zealand publishers are aiming to appease.
At least one thing's for sure: Witi Ihimaera is a national treasure.
It feels as though the vast majority of NZ fiction pretty much boils down to, "This is what it's like to live in New Zealand!" Speaking as a New Zealander...I know.
Mind you, I'm not a middle-aged, middle-class, Labour-voting white person from Wellington. So I guess I'm just not the demographic New Zealand publishers are aiming to appease.
At least one thing's for sure: Witi Ihimaera is a national treasure.
July 25, 2023
The best story was the first one...I then had to mostly wade through 99 others I'm sorry to say...
February 12, 2011
1) 3 short stories by the same author
2) my friend gave it to me so i just read it
3) there is a lot of cool and interesting stories and its NOT LONG just the way i like
4) the stories are way to short because it is 1 page long so it was hard understanding what the story is about
5) i recommend it to people over 7 because it has some hard words and its hard to understand what the story is about but other than that is a great book
2) my friend gave it to me so i just read it
3) there is a lot of cool and interesting stories and its NOT LONG just the way i like
4) the stories are way to short because it is 1 page long so it was hard understanding what the story is about
5) i recommend it to people over 7 because it has some hard words and its hard to understand what the story is about but other than that is a great book
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews