Taking us into the houses, streets, villages, cities-and hearts-of people around the globe, this exciting collection makes accessible a truly cross-cultural selection of important short fiction. Twenty-five contemporary stories from five cultures far different from our own bring us the distinct flavors and sights, values and conflicts of modern Africa, China, India, Japan, and Latin America. But against the totally foreign and exotic backdrops, the powerful dramas and relationships that come to life are universal and instantly familiar.

Introduction

 AFRICAN STORIES

CHINUA ACTIEBE

 Civil Peace

NADINE GORDIMER

 Africa Emergent

BESSIE HEAD

 The Collector of Treasures

CHARLES MUNGOSHI

 Who Will Stop the Dark?

NGUGI WA THIONG'O

 A Meeting in the Dark

Selected African Anthologies

     CHINESE STORIES

WABG ANYI

 The Destination

Drag LING

 Sketches from the "Cattle Shed"

WANG MENG

 Kite Streamers

CHEN RONG

  Regarding the Problem of Newborn

  Piglets in Winter

Lu WENFU

  The Man from a Peddlers' Family

Selected Chinese Anthologies

     INDIAN STORIES

ANITA DESAI

  Pigeons at Daybreak

MAHASWETA DEVI

  Dhowli

RUTH PRAWER JHABVALA

  The Interview

R. K. NARAYAN

 A Horse and Two Goats

KHUSHWANT SINGH

  The Wog

Selected indian Anthologies

    JAPANESE STORIES

KOBO ABE

  The Magic Chalk

SAWAKO ARIYOSHI

  The Tomoshibi

YASUNARI KAWABATA

  The Moon on the Water

YUKIO MISHIMA

Act of Worship

YOKO TSUSHIMA

The Silent Traders

Selected Japanese Anthologies

  LATIN AMERICAN STORIES

ISABEL ALLENDE

Oarisa

JORGE LUIs BORGES

The Book of Sand

CARLOS FUENTES

The Cost of Living

GABRIEL GARCIA MAROUEZ

Death Constant Beyond Love

LUiSA VALENZUELA

Papito's Story

Selected Latin American Anthologies