Previously unpublished stories by the bestselling author of Alone in Berlin.

In September 1925, Hans Fallada handed himself in to the police. Not yet a bestselling author, Fallada had repeatedly embezzled funds to finance his alcohol and morphine addictions. Desperate to escape his demons, he sought a prison cell.

Now court documents from Fallada’s imprisonment have recently been uncovered, and with them a never-before-seen collection of short stories. Through complex characters at odds with society, Fallada explored the lived the lives of women and male outsiders.

These stories reveal to a new generation of readers Fallada’s immense gifts and his intense inner battles.

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‘Fallada is extraordinary … These stories of love and hate, sadism and masochism, are compelling in isolation. But what makes them remarkable is that they prefigure his final works.’

"‘Psychologically acute.’" - i newspaper

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‘A precious treat for Fallada fans: Lilly and her Slave tells a MeToo story from 1920s Berlin.’

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‘These tales from the estate of Hans Fallada are a gem for fans, as are the circumstances of their discovery.’