The 2023 Short Story Advent Calendar

“For lovers of short stories, there’s no better holiday offering.”
—Ron Charles, Washington Post

“One of my favourite annual anthologies—a collection that makes me look forward to December with glee.”
—Leslie Hurtig, artistic director, Vancouver Writers Festival

Curl up inside this winter with the 2023 Short Story Advent Calendar!

Now in its ninth year, the SSAC is back to once again bring readers a deluxe, peppermint-fresh collection of 25 short stories from some of the best writers in North America and beyond.

Contributors to the 2023 Short Story Advent Calendar include:

Melissa Broder (Milk Fed)
Thomas King (Indians on Vacation)
Naben Ruthnum (A Hero of Our Time)
Colin Winnette (Users)
Hilma Wolitzer (Today a Woman Went Mad in the Supermarket)
and 20 more!

(This is a collection of literary, non-religious short stories for adults. For more information, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.)

First time with us? The Short Story Advent Calendar is a deluxe box set of 25 individual short stories that are meant to be opened, one by one, on the days leading up to Christmas. Surprise is the name of the game, so you won’t know exactly what you’re getting until you open the booklets each morning starting December 1.

Then, after you’ve read that day’s story, check back here to read an exclusive interview with the author about their work. And be sure to use the hashtag #ssac2023 on Twitter and Instagram—we’re @hingstonolsen on both—to chat about the stories with your fellow advent calendarians.

This year’s artist edition features a piece called Three Women Reading created for us by Marcos Farina, an Argentine illustrator based in Valencia, Spain. It’s available in a limited run of only 100 hand-numbered copies, plus a smattering of lettered overs.