An anthology of some 80 stories, including two dozen translations. The latter range from The Elephant Vanishes, a look at Japanese society by Haruki Murakami, to My Father, the Englishman, and I, a satire on colonialism by the Somalian, Nuruddin Farah.

Originally published in the United States of America by Viking, 1999.

Gift from somewhere / --Keeper of the virgins / -- Amor divino / -- Immortals / -- Glass tower / -- Wilderness tips / -- Gorilla, my love / -- My mother's memoirs, my father's lie, and other true stories / -- G-string / -- Evermore / -- Aren't you happy for me? / -- In Amalfi / -- Rara avis / -- Mr. Green / -- Fat man in history / -- Courtship of Mr. Lyon / -- Are these actual miles? / -- Old man slave and the mastiff / -- Dharma / -- Never marry a Mexican / -- Prospect from the silver hills / -- Night women / -- House behind / -- All because of the mistake / -- Ysrael / -- Betrayal / -- Reflections of spring / -- Girl who left her sock on the floor / -- Twenty-seventh man / -- Parakeet / -- Roberto narrates / -- My father, the Englishman, and I / -- Optimists / -- Story of the lizard who had the habit of dining on his wives / -- Hammam / -- Escort / -- Midnight and I'm not famous yet / -- Portrait of the avant-garde / -- Moving house / -- Family supper / -- Encounter / -- First day / -- Remember young Cecil / -- Intimacy / -- Stump-grubber / -- Wish / -- Everything in this counry must / -- Pornography / -- Behind the blue curtain / -- Willing / -- Lifeguard / -- Canebrake / -- Management of grief / -- Muradhan and Selvihan, or, The tale of the crystal kiosk / -- Elephant vanishes / -- Mark of Satan / -- In the shadow of war / -- Where the jackals howl / -- Life and adventures of shed number XII / -- Talking dog / -- Free radio / -- Africa kills her sun / -- Ring / -- Learning to swim / -- Riddle / -- Minutes of glory / -- On the golden porch / -- John-Jin / -- Who, me a bum? / -- Cinnamon skin / -- You can't get lost in Cape Tower / -- Doc's story / -- Farm / -- Dirt angel / -- Green man / -- Night in question / -- Child who raised poisonous snakes / -- Helix / Banana Yoshimoto. Gift from somewhere / Ama Ata Aidoo -- Keeper of the virgins / Hanan Al-Shaykh -- Amor divino / Julia Alvarez -- Immortals / Martin Amis -- Glass tower / Reinaldo Arenas -- Wilderness tips / Margaret Atwood -- Gorilla, my love / Toni Cade Bambara -- My mother's memoirs, my father's lie, and other true stories / Russell Banks -- G-string / Nicola Barker -- Evermore / Julian Barnes -- Aren't you happy for me? / Richard Bausch -- In Amalfi / Ann Beattie -- Rara avis / T. Coraghessan Boyle -- Mr. Green / Robert Olen Butler -- Fat man in history / Peter Carey -- Courtship of Mr. Lyon / Angela Carter -- Are these actual miles? / Raymond Carver -- Old man slave and the mastiff / Patrick Chamoiseau -- Dharma / Vikram Chandra -- Never marry a Mexican / Sandra Cisneros -- Prospect from the silver hills / Jim Crace -- Night women / Edwidge Danticat -- House behind / Lydia Davis -- All because of the mistake / Daniele del Giudice -- Ysrael / Junot Diax -- Betrayal / Patricia Duncker -- Reflections of spring / Duong Thu Huong -- Girl who left her sock on the floor / Deborah Eisenberg -- Twenty-seventh man / Nathan Englander -- Parakeet / Victor Erofeyev -- Roberto narrates / Peter Esterhazy -- My father, the Englishman, and I / Nuruddin Farah -- Optimists / Richard Ford -- Story of the lizard who had the habit of dining on his wives / Eduardo Galeano -- The hammam / Herve Guibert -- Escort / Abdulrazak Gurnah -- Midnight and I'm not famous yet / Barry Hannah -- Portrait of the avant-garde / Peter Hoeg -- Moving house / Pawel Huelle -- A family supper / Kazuo Ishiguro -- Encounter / Roy Jacobsen -- First day / Edward P. Jones -- Remember young Cecil / James Kelman -- Intimacy / Hanif Kureishi -- Stump-grubber / Torgny Lindgren -- Wish / Bobbie Ann Mason -- Everything in this counry must / Colum McCann -- Pornography / Ian McEwan -- Behind the blue curtain / Steven Millhauser -- Willing / Lorrie Moore -- Lifeguard / Mary Morris -- Canebrake / Mohammed Mrabet -- Management of grief / Bharati Mukherjee -- Muradhan and Selvihan or the tale of the crystal kiosk -- Elephant vanishes / Haruki Murakami -- Mark of satan / Joyce Carol Oates -- In the shadow of war / Ben Okri -- Where the Jackals Howl / Amos Oz -- Life and adventures of shed number xii / Victor Pelevin -- Talking dog / Francine Prose -- Free radio / Salman Rushdie -- Africa kills her sun / Ken Saro-Wiwa -- The ring / Ingo Schulze -- Learning to swim / Graham Swift -- Riddle / Antonio Tabucchi -- Minutes of glory / Ngugi Wa Thiong'o -- On the golden porch / Tatyana Tolstaya -- John-Jin / Rose Tremain -- Who, me a bum? / Luisa Valenzuela -- Cinnamon skin / Edmund White -- You can't get lost in Cape Town / Zoe¨ Wicomb -- Doc's story / John Edgar Wideman -- The farm / Joy Williams -- Dirt angel / Jeanne Wilmot -- Green man / Jeanette Winterson -- Night in question / Tobias Wolff -- Child who raised poisonous snakes / Can Xue -- Helix / Banana Yoshimoto.