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The Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award Shortlist Collection 2020

By: Alexia Tolas, Niamh Campbell, Daniel O'Malley, Louise Kennedy, Namwali Serpell, Shawn Vestal, Tom Curry
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  • Summary

  • This year's shortlist of six exceptional stories each take the listener on an intense and gripping journey into the human heart. With poise, precision, and a light-footed grace, they conjure dramatically different, starkly real worlds.

    Hailing from Ireland, the United States and The Bahamas, the finalists of 2020 share stories on subjects as far apart as their settings, exploring among them romantic and marital discord, dark secrets, homelessness and even a high school football team; yet each one opens doors into its characters' lives in surprising and moving ways.

    In another outstanding year for The Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award, dubbed 'the world's most prestigious short story prize' by LitHub, this shortlist bears powerful witness to the thrilling possibilities of the short story form.
    ©2020 Alexia Tolas, Niamh Campbell, Daniel O'Malley, Louise Kennedy, Namwali Serpell, Shawn Vestal (P)2020 Audible, Ltd.
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Anthologies Literary Fiction
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Episodes
  • Teamwork by Shawn Vestal

    Teamwork by Shawn Vestal

     The Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award Shortlist Collection 2020
    Sep 14 2020

    A player on a 1980s high school American football team recounts one disastrous season – on and off the field – with the team’s every moment charted by their emphatic, omnipotent, highly volatile coach. This energetic, evocative story is bittersweet, nostalgic, and incredibly funny.
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    28 mins
    Free with 30-day trial
  • Take It by Namwali Serpell

    Take It by Namwali Serpell

     The Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award Shortlist Collection 2020
    Sep 14 2020

    In Berkeley, a homeless teenager stumbles across a college party where everyone has cast off their inhibitions – starting with their clothes. Intrigued by its unusualness, he finds himself drawn to an older girl, despite the hostility of her companions. This is an original, tense, funny and poignant story about the opportunities and risks that present themselves when the status quo shifts.
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    19 mins
    Free with 30-day trial
  • Sparing the Heather by Louise Kennedy

    Sparing the Heather by Louise Kennedy

     The Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award Shortlist Collection 2020
    Sep 14 2020

    An unhappily married woman is having an affair with her English tenant in rural Ireland. When a social event brings them all together for the day, the ensuing tension sees not only the affair come close to being uncovered, but the truth of a darker, long-held secret – and the reason for the woman’s loathing of her husband. Set in the aftermath of The Troubles, this is a tightly-woven story of betrayal and secrets and their impact on family lives.
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    27 mins
    Free with 30-day trial

What listeners say about The Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award Shortlist Collection 2020

Average Customer Ratings
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Love many.1 11

Different certainly ,but good Different. I really enjoyed it. It was light and easy to listen to but still had warmth and depth, I could see the characters . I also loved the readers accent. Loved this, very enjoyable.

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3 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Profile Image for Leigh A.

Disappointing

I personally struggled to finish the story, I would have given up if I was reading it. Sorry but the ending was poor.

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4 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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A Collection of Varied Short Stories

A collection of short stories of varied genres, with no common theme other than good writing.

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6 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for John Ryan

Boring.

I didn't like one of these stories. It was hard not to zone out. Boring at best.

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Profile Image for Michele Andrews

didn't enjoy these

these short stories really disappointed me, one after the other. sometimes disturbing sometimes just inane.

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2 people found this helpful

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.