Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author's brain, their soul and heart. A few pages can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere.

In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted 'Top Tens' across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions – Why that story? Why that author?

The theme itself will form the boundaries for our stories which range from well-known classics, newly told, to stories that modern times have overlooked but perfectly exemplify the theme. Throughout the volume our authors whether of instant recognition or new to you are all leviathans of literature.

Some you may disagree with but they will get you thinking; about our choices and about those you would have made. If this volume takes you on a path to discover more of these miniature masterpieces then we have all gained something.

For women the odds have always been dauntingly against their works being recognised. But one glance at the names here and you realise this is but a speck from an unlimited pool of immense talents. Genius in every name.

01 - The Top 10 - The English Women - An Introduction

02 - An Unwritten Novel by Virginia Woolf

03 - The Old Nurses Story by Elizabeth Gaskell

04 - The Mortal Immortal by Mary Shelley

05 - Man Size In Marble by Edith Nesbit

06 - Passed by Charlotte Mew

07 - Miss Ogilivy Finds Herself by Radclyffe Hall

08 - Her Murderer by Mary Cholmonderly

09 - Cohen of Trinity by Amy Levy

10 - Irremediable by Ella D'Arcy

11 - The Cold Embrace by Mary Elizabeth Braddon