Inspired by Jane Austen's heroes and villains, this contemporary short-story anthology has been selected by Michele Roberts from the Jane Austen Short Story Competition 2011 run by Chawton House. 'When a young lady is to be a heroine… Something must and will happen to throw a hero in her way.' Or, if she is unlucky, maybe a villain with a treacherous heart… Whether a Dary or a Wickham, an Elizabeth Bennet or a Miss Dashwood, there is something within these twenty contemporary and original stories for all Austen readers and fans. From Wikram Jayanath's exploits in Mumbai to the antics of a vicar's book obsessed wife, there are heroes and villains to suit all tastes.