'A story can lure us into gaps and spaces that feel sacred in their silence.' Kim Scott In The Best Australian Stories 2013, Kim Scott assembles the most exceptional short fiction of the last year and invites readers to build 'a rare and intimate relationship' with these talented writers, one that is 'essential to storytelling in print, whether on paper or screen.' These stories conjure disparate moods, from delight to melancholy. A family Christmas lays bare a relationship grown cold. A father pursues the art of the birdcall in an effort to speak his son's language. A cat becomes a conduit for a neighbour's true feelings while Brisbane floods. Striking new voices blend seamlessly with those of celebrated storytellers to form a collection that will leave an indelible impression long after the last word is read.