Best Canadian Stories 2021

by Diane Schoemperlen (Editor)

Now in its 51st year, Best Canadian Stories has long championed the short story form and highlighted the work of writers who have gone on to shape the Canadian literary canon. Margaret Atwood, Mavis Gallant, and Alice Munro, and, more recently, Casey Plett, Omar El Akkad, and Souvankham Thammavongsa, alongside many others, have appeared in its pages over the decades, making Best Canadian Stories the go-to source for what’s new in Canadian fiction writing for more than five decades. Selected by guest editor Diane Schoemperlen, the 2021 edition draws together both newer and established writers to shape an engaging and luminous mosaic of writing in this country today—a continuation of not only a series, but a legacy in Canadian letters.

Genres: Canada, Short Stories

224 pages, Paperback

First published November 16, 2021

About the author

Diane Schoemperlen, short-story writer, novelist, teacher, editor (b at Thunder Bay, Ont 9 July 1954). Diane Schoemperlen grew up in Thunder Bay, Ont, and attended Lakehead University. After graduating in 1976, she spent a summer studying at the Banff Centre, under such writers as W.O. MITCHELL and Alice MUNRO. Since 1986, she has focused on her writing career and has taught creative writing at schools such as St Lawrence College and the Kingston School of Writing. She currently lives in Kingston, Ontario.

Reviews

[Marshall Chapman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book - fun compilation of Canadian short stories. Wanting to get back into writing so I picked this up to stoke my imagination. Did the job!

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This was my first time reading any of the Best Canadian series and… I was blown away. I'm not sure what to attribute that to, whether that's a difference between Canadian and American short stories or whether this year's editor and I just happened to be on the same wavelength about what we want in short stories. If I had to boil down the difference in a few imperfect words, I'd say that most stories in this anthology seemed to me to be about character, where many I've read in other anthologies have felt like plot was the most important consideration. Despite my initial disappointment at how thin this book was, I will definitely keep my eye out for the 2022 edition next fall.

[Adam · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s difficult to rate a collection of short stories, especially ones from fifteen different authors. There are stories that I enjoyed, and more often than not, ones that I did not. Swing and a miss with this array of stories.

[James Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection really didn't meet my expectations, especially as it was edited by Diane Schomperlen, a writer whom I respect very much. There are a couple of quirky entries here, so I suppose there's something for everyone in this volume, which could have been larger than its 224 pages.

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some were so boring I was just waiting for them to end.

[Stevan McCallum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought there were only two duds in the book. Great to read modern, Canadian short stories.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

loved 'Let's Play Dead,' 'Stripped,' 'Dead Birds,' 'Lady With the Big Head Chronicle,' and 'The Ones We Carry With Us.