In Pretty Ugly, Gunn reminds us that ambiguity and complication are elemental forces in a human life and grist to the storyteller’s mill. This collection of 13 darkly compelling stories, set in New Zealand and in the UK, is testament to Gunn’s unrivalled ability to look directly into the troubled human heart and draw out what dwells there. The ‘ugly’ of these stories, she writes, is to do with ‘considering how much a person’s life can bear’.

Longings, compulsions, jealousies, dreams; ambitions realised, desires denied: Gunn’s steady, clear-eyed gaze unsettles complacencies, reveals duplicities, and gathers us all into the fold. She brings unease and compassion for the human condition in equal measure to the page.

Gritty, compelling and daring, Pretty Ugly paves the way for this important new series, which aims to carve out a space in the literary landscape to highlight the diverse and vibrant stories created by some of the country’s most talented writers.

Series editor Chris Prentice explains that Landfall Tauraka seeks ‘to acknowledge and showcase the ongoing quality and vitality of literary writing published in this journal.’

‘We plan to produce a volume of short stories each year, by writers who have had one or more stories published in Landfall. Initially, the series will be developed by invitation, alternating between collections from established writers and emerging talents who have yet to publish a collection.’