‘Brilliant...Murakami introduces all these stories with grace and lightness of touch, warm and informal in suggesting their essences and qualities without self-indulgence or writerly obsequiousness' Sunday Herald

‘A genuine curiosity of an anthology...Charming...Tantalising'Scotland on Sunday

‘Voices and settings as diverse as the authors, but they are all concerned with the arbitrary yet immensely significant way in which we mark the passing of our lives' Observer

What will you get for your birthday this year？ A chance to see into the future？Or a reminder of an imperfect past？

In this enviable gathering, Haruki Murakami has chosen for his party some of the very best short story writers of recent years, each with their own birthday experiences, each story a snapshot of life on a single day. Including stories by Russell Banks, Ethan Canin, Raymond Carver, David Foster Wallace, Denis Johnson, Claire Keegan, Andrea Lee, Daniel Lyons, Lewis Robinson (included for the first time in this edition), Lynda Sexson, Paul Theroux, William Trevor and Haruki Murakami, this anthology captures a range of emotions evoked by advancing age and the passing of time, from events fondly recalled to the impact of appalling tragedy.

Previously published in a Japanese translation by Haruki Murakami,this English edition contains a specially Written introduction.

Introduction: My Birthday, Your Birthday 1

Russell Banks: The Moor 13

Denis Johnson: Dundun 25

William Trevor: Timothy's Birthday 33

Daniel Lyons: The Birthday Cake 57

Lynda Sexson: Turning 65

David Foster Wallace: Forever Overhead 73

Ethan Canin: Angel of Mercy, Angel of Wrath 89

Andrea Lee: The Birthday Present 105

Raymond Carver: The Bath 131

Paul Theroux: A Game of Dice 143

Claire Keegan: Close to the Water's Edge 151

Lewis Robinson: Ride 163

Haruki Murakami: Birthday Girl 187

Acknowledgements 209