The mission of Wilton Square Books is to publish fiction and non-fiction that increases our understanding of the world and the people in it.
Set in contemporary Japan, Takoyaki Tales is a sharp, funny, and quietly unsettling collection of short stories that explores the absurdities and contradictions of everyday life
Moving between offices, apartments, streets, and late-night eateries, these stories capture moments of connection and alienation, intimacy and misunderstanding. A chance encounter, an awkward social exchange, or a seemingly trivial decision can tip ordinary lives into unexpected territory. Beneath the humour and lightness runs a deeper current of loneliness, desire, and the strange rituals that shape modern existence.
By turns playful and dark, Takoyaki Tales blends realism with subtle surrealism, offering an outsider’s eye on Japanese urban life while revealing universal human anxieties.
Wry, observant, and deeply humane, this is a collection about the stories we tell ourselves to get through the day, and the small moments that linger long after.
OUT AUGUST 2026. AVAILABLE TO PREORDER NOW
UK postage is free if you spend £20 or more
The mission of Wilton Square Books is to publish fiction and non-fiction that increases our understanding of the world and the people in it.