The Penguin Book of the International Short Story
The Penguin Book of the International Short Story
Low stock: 3 left
Couldn't load pickup availability
Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2026 by Literary Hub
The best in short fiction from around the world, from celebrated anthologist and author John Freeman and award-winning novelist Rabih Alameddine
In The Penguin Book of the International Short Story, writers from different nations, languages, and sensibilities cometogether in a globe-spanning and long overdue tour of modern fiction. In “Super-Frog Saves Tokyo,” Haruki Murakami brings us a man who believes a giant amphibian is enlisting him to protect his city from an impending earthquake. In “War of the Clowns,” Mozambique’s Mia Couto sketches a perfect allegory for our divided culture. In the predecessor story to her iconic novel The Vegetarian, Han Kang depicts a protagonist quietly undergoing an unlikely transformation.A Colm Tóibín character thinks, “I do not even believe in Ireland,” while Carol Bensimon reflects from Brazil, “All great ideas seem like bad ones at some point.” Salman Rushdie brings us to unsettled rural India, Olga Tokarczuk to an ugly woman exhibit at the circus, Abdellah Taïa to the queer Arab world, Ted Chiang to a far-off galaxy.
The United States is far from the center of the literary universe. This anthology is reminiscent of iconic director Bong JoonHo’s line about overcoming “the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles” to enter a new world of film—the work of thoughtful and accomplished translators opens the door wide for those curious about what lies beyond the Western canon and classroom. Writers from six continents, ranging from new voices to literary icons, each offer a window into a distinct point of view, both transcending and illuminating their place of origin. They offer not only captivating prose, but a reminder of the power of the imaginationacross space and time.
Share
Shipping & Delivery
Shipping & Delivery
British Columbia:
UPS Standard or Chit Chats: $12 or free for purchase over $120 (before tax).
We don't have express shipping option within British Columbia, as it is usually pretty fast to ship within the province.
Other provinces in Canada
UPS Standard: $18; free for purchase over $180 (before tax).
Express: $18 for purchase over $180; $36 for purchase below $180.
We also offer a reduced shipping rate with Chit Chats: $9.95 if purchase below $180. Shipping usually takes around 1 week.
United States:
We are using DHL Express (2-3 business days) for all U.S. orders. It's fast and reliable.
CAD 45 for orders under CAD 500; CAD 25 for orders between CAD 500 and CAD 1000; free for orders over CAD 1000.
For other regions in the world, shipping fees are varied and please check at the check-out.
All duties resulted in oversea shipping are the responsibility of the buyer.
The prices on our website are in CAD in default. You can change the currency setting on the bottom of our website.
FOR SMALL PARCELS:
If your purchased item is small and you feel that the flat-rate shipping fee is too high, please send us an e-mail request (after the purchase) and we will show you the actual shipping cost. If it's below what you paid, we will be happy to refund the extra cost.
LOCAL DELIVERY:
We offer local delivery within 4 km of our store for $5 for purchase under $100 (before tax); free delivery within 4 km of our store over purchase of $100 (before tax)
Exchange/Return
Exchange/Return
Exchange/ Store Credit
We offer exchange or store credit within 7 days since the product is received. If 7 days have gone by since your purchase, unfortunately we can’t offer you an exchange or store credit.
To be eligible for an exchange or store credit, your item(s) must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.
All sale items are final sale and not eligible for exchange/store credit. We do not offer price adjustments for items that go on sale after the purchase.
Several types of goods are exempt from being returned returned, such as gift cards, food, personal care, plants, books and magazines cannot be returned or exchanged. We also do not accept products that are intimate or sanitary goods.
To complete your request, we require a receipt or proof of purchase.
Please do not send your purchase back to the manufacturer.
Exchanges (if applicable)
We only replace items if they are defective or damaged. If you need to exchange it for the same item, send us an email at info@outnaboutboutique.com and send your item to: 321 West Cordova Street Vancouver British Columbia CA V6B 1E5.
Shipping
To exchange your product, you should mail your product to: 321 West Cordova Street Vancouver British Columbia CA V6B 1E5
You will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. If your order enjoyed free shipping, the cost of the shipping fee we paid will be deducted from your store credit.
Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary.
If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.

Subscribe to our emails
Subscribe to our mailing list for insider news, product launches, and more. Plus you get 10% off on selected products!