I'm an economist-turned-author, German-born and London-based. I recently experienced the pleasure — and pain — of finishing my debut novel, Pentimenti: What We Paint Over.

After that demanding voyage, I now find myself returning to the precise art of short fiction, where every word must earn its place.

The beauty of short stories lies in their ability to capture these fleeting yet profound glimpses of emotion that reveal our shared humanity. It's like a handcrafted chocolate truffle: devoured in moments, but its richness lingers.