Tajinder Singh Hayer lives in Bradford and teaches at the University and his story Statue has a very strong sense of place. We are in Centenary Square and Jasvir, the central character, looks out at a living statue from the windows of her City Hall office. Local places like Saltaire and Manningham get name checks as Jasvir carries out her duties for the Council. Along the way she examines her relationship with her colleagues and the man in her life and reflects on the nature of her emotions. It is likely we will be hearing more of Tajinder, who at 23, has already had several short plays produced at the West Yorkshire Playhouse as well as one by the BBC.

Life in our cities is changing

Although he was born in Salford Michael Stewart now lives in Bradford. He has already had some success as a dramatist and his story Dog In A Bag, initially at least, seems very rooted in dialogue. It also serves as a reminder that families live in the city. Liz and Andrew have a small baby. They talk, but do they communicate?

Mark Costello was born in Batley. It seems his tale, Crime Class, is his first attempt at writing a short story but it grabbed me from the start: "My first day as a teacher was a tragedy, I am now at the point of farce readying myself for a new class in the world of further education. On mornings like this I think 'He who can, does. He who cannot, is a ****, also known as a teacher.'" Charlie is a 35-year-old FE teacher with more than a few hang-ups whose only solace is "the bottle and music, oh, and an unhealthy interest in documentaries about Nazis" who is giving his first criminology class. Nothing much has changed for Charlie by the end of the story but some serious points about crime, deviance and punishment are raised along the way. More like this, please.

Tom Palmer's story, If There Is No Justice, is also about crime and punishment. Tom now lives in Todmorden but is well known in Bradford, both because of his work for the Bradford Book Festival and with readers' groups across the district, and also for his book about being a Leeds United fan. His story, which opens in Leeds Magistrates' Court, not only has a strong sense of narrative but recreates the smells and colours of the city very effectively. I look forward to reading his forthcoming novel.

Of course, Naked City tells of lives beyond West Yorkshire - there are also stories set in Newcastle, Dundee, Glasgow, Manchester, Hull, Nottingham, Durham and Liverpool, and if this wasn't enough the collection is accompanied by a series of photographs. Kevin Reynolds looks through his lens at naked people (volunteer models) in everyday situations.

I came to this collection as someone who has been evading short stories for a good few years, even though some of these have been amongst the best stuff I have ever read. Although I still feel the novel is more ideally suited to reflect change The Naked City shows that the short story is the perfect medium for laying bare glimpses of people's lives.

Chris Verguson