Stories don't emerge out of thin air. They're inspired from what we see, what we hear and most importantly, what we experience. Sometimes they're funny, sometimes moving, often plain weird. All a writer has to do is – listen.

In this intriguing and occasionally surreal volume of novellas and shorter fiction, BAFTA-nominated screenwriter and acclaimed novelist Paul A. Mendelson explores with humour and pathos how our worlds make us so vulnerably human. 

A volunteer on a helpline hears a voice at the other end that changes her world forever...

A failing scriptwriter tries to sell his mad movie to a famous director by pretending it's the story of his life...

A proud Scotsman wakes up after a mild stroke to discover he has turned English...

A middle-aged man whose young father died before he was born meets his long lost parent in a dusty attic...

A husband leaves his wife forever – until he realises he has left his precious watch behind...