Short story 'returned to prominence in 2009'

The last year has proved that the short story is a thriving literary form despite claims of its demise, if one commentator is to be believed.

Writing in the Guardian, Chris Power pointed out that at the start of 2009 many thought the short story was in decline but the last 12 months have seen it revived.

'The consensus running through the end-of-year reviews is that it's been a vintage year for short fiction and I agree,' he explained.

Power noted that Alice Munro, who has published 14 collections of short fiction, won the 2009 Man Booker International, while Raymond Carver's Beginners- the original text of his famous story What We Talk About When We Talk About Love - was another notable release.

In addition, established writers such as Kazuo Ishiguro, Donald Pollock, Mavis Gallant, James Lasdun and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie published short story collections.

Recently, Sarah Crown, Guardian.co.uk books editor, argued that women are particularly suited to writing short stories, after a clutch of female authors won prizes for the form.