In the world of contemporary fiction, Irish writing is considered to be one of the most vibrant traditions, one which continues to produce talented and exciting new writers every year. With this in mind, and the popularity of the short story in Ireland, Phoenix Irish Short Stories 1996 was initiated to select the very best Irish short fiction in a given year.
This fourth annual anthology of Irish short stories continues to reflect the wide landscape of contemporary Irish fiction. It showcases the best new stories coming out of Ireland ? including stories by talented non-Irish writers resident in Ireland such as Molly McCloskey and acclaimed Irish writers living abroad like Colum McCann.
David Marcus is one of Ireland's most respected literary figures. He has been nurturing new talent and promoting Irish writing for many years, as editor of the Irish Press New Writing Page, and through his involvement with Irish based writing competitions.