The Rotterdamsch Leeskabinet and the University Library present the exhibition To cut a long story short, showing a selection of short stories from the collection. In a number of themes and periods, the many facets of the genre are considered, ranging from the Dutch short story with writers like Maria Dermoût and J.M.A. Biesheuvel, to Rotterdam-based authors and bibliophile editions.
The short story flourished in the nineteenth century, when many readers devoured stories about haunted houses and cunning detectives. With the emergence in the early twentieth century of literary magazines such as The New Yorker, American writers became renowned. Today, the diversity within the genre has grown immensely, and readers can engage with perspectives from all corners of the world. The short story is not limited to literary fiction, as can be seen in the University Library's Patient Experience Stories Collection, where the form is used for non-fiction and personal narratives.
Visit the showcase exhibition until the end of May 2025 and discover more short stories in our catalogue, or on the shelves of Reading Without Borders. An online version will be available soon.
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Questions? You can reach us via the online form or call 010-4081198.
