After Rain, by William Trevor Penguin,£6.99 in UK)

Recently shortlisted for the Irish Times Irish Literature prize, Trevor's ninth short-story collection is an impressive testament to the sustained imaginative quality, variety, authenticity and craft of his gentle, yet often black, genius. Several of the stories are superb, particularly "Lost Ground", which examines the traditional hatreds continuing to divide Protestants and catholics in Northern Ireland. Whatever the setting, Trevor, observes and listens, for human nature concerns him. Although he left Ireland a lifetime ago, the master still catches the ordinary speech of his people better than most of his peers.