Absence and disappearance provide recurring themes in these 10 stories assembled from the BBC International Short Story Award competition: the abandonment of family members, estranged wives and errant husbands, the loss of a childhood friend and computer games mentor, and the convenient vanishing of whatever we deem disposable. Written by English-speaking writers from around the world—including Australia, the Balkans, Ireland, North America, and South Africa—this compilation shows the extraordinary diversity and richness of the short story as a truly global form while also honoring the 2012 London Olympics. Contributors include the winner of the BBC International Short Story Award, Miroslav Penkov; runner-up Henrietta Rose-Innes; and Adam Ross, Carrie Tiffany, Chris Womersley, Deborah Levy, Julian Gough, Krys Lee, Lucy Caldwell, and M. J. Hyland.