The 2021 Short Story Advent Calendar
Edited by Alberto Manguel
As seen in the Washington Post!
25 days, 25 stories, 25 countries—chosen by one of the best readers around.
Last year, we tried to retire the Short Story Advent Calendar. And in response, we got a bunch of unexpected feedback from readers that was at once clear, loud, and unanimous: Hey, could you… not do that?
Fair enough!
At the same time, we didn’t want to trot out the exact same product and call it a day. That’s why we are pleased to announce that the Short Story Advent Calendar is back—but with a new twist.
This time around, we’ve recruited one of our very favourite writers and readers to curate a unique globetrotting literary adventure. Edited and introduced by Alberto Manguel, the 2021 Short Story Advent Calendar spans the globe—from Canada to Australia, Africa to Scandinavia—featuring contemporary and classic works alike.
Contributors include:
Marcel Aymé (France)
Aleksandar Hemon (Bosnia)
José Saramago (Portugal)
Muriel Spark (Scotland)
Leo Tolstoy (Russia)
and 20 other writers from 20 other countries!
(This is a collection of literary, non-religious short stories for adults. For more information, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.)
The editorial process has been tweaked, but the result is exactly the same: a deluxe box set of 25 individually bound short stories to be opened, one by one, on the mornings leading up to Christmas. As always, the stories are meant to be a surprise, so you won’t know exactly what you’re getting until you crack the seal every morning starting December 1. Then, once you’ve read that day’s story, check back here to read exclusive commentary on the story by our illustrious editor.
The cases on this year’s calendar are a thing of beauty, wrapped in a textural bronze paper and stamped with contrasting copper and teal foils.
And oh yes, there’s a special edition, too. The limited edition of the 2021 Short Story Advent Calendar is wrapped in original artwork by Haley Tippmann, an American illustrator based in Koblenz, Germany. This stunning piece is inspired by various geographic locations from across the collection. It’s available in a run of 120 hand-numbered copies, each of which is signed by Manguel.
ABOUT THE EDITOR
Alberto Manguel is an Argentinian-Canadian writer, translator, editor and critic, born in Buenos Aires in 1948. He has published several novels and works of non-fiction, including Packing My Library, Curiosity, With Borges, A History of Reading, The Library at Night, Fabulous Monsters and (together with Gianni Guadalupi) The Dictionary of Imaginary Places. He has received numerous international awards and titles, including the Guggenheim Fellowship, France’s Commander of the Order of Arts & Letters, and Officer of the Order of Canada. Manguel is the former director of the National Library of Argentina, and is currently director of the Centro de Estudos da História da Leitura in Lisbon.
H&O 016 / ISBN: 9781777185541 / October 2021