In this enviable gathering, Haruki Murakami has chosen for his party some of the very best short story writers of recent years, each with their own birthday experiences, each story a snapshot of life on a single day. One man's rebellion against the traditional family birthday dinner of his childhood; the ghosts of a mis-spent youth; unusual guests entertained by an old woman whose son has forgotten her special day - this anthology captures a range of emotions evoked by advancing age and the passing of time, from events fondly recalled to the impact of appalling tragedy.