Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author’s brain, their soul and heart. A few pages can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere.

In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted ‘Top Tens’ across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions – Why that story? Why that author?

The theme itself will form the boundaries for our stories which range from well-known classics, newly told, to stories that modern times have overlooked but perfectly exemplify the theme. Throughout the volume our authors whether of instant recognition or new to you are all leviathans of literature.

Some you may disagree with but they will get you thinking; about our choices and about those you would have made. If this volume takes you on a path to discover more of these miniature masterpieces then we have all gained something.

The history of the African American is mainly one of slavery and subjugation. It is a terrible and heinous stain upon the moral fabric of humanity. Literature could not provide an answer, but it did promote the voices of many talents so that all opinions and narratives were heard. There is no doubt that stories from the African American diaspora are both unique and compelling. Sometimes the harshness of their lot is tragic and dispiriting but the energy and voices of these unfairly neglected authors rings true, and rings bright.