In this, the seventh edition of the New Contexts anthologies, the quality of the submissions, their breadth of subject matter and style, remain joyously undiminished. It is a heady mix. And whilst it would be possible to pick out certain themes - those 'big' topics which have tormented and challenged writers for hundreds of years - to do so would perhaps be unfair. Every piece in this collection deserves to be here, and thus deserves equal focus.

Confident that New Contexts: 7 contains something for everyone, I hope you enjoy it.