I was very dismissive of short stories until I gave birth. It was, however, not the experience of labour that changed my preferences, but the ensuing sleeping schedule of my daughter. For a couple of months, I was quite incapable of tackling a novel, but the 45-minute naps of a baby are perfect for short stories (and essays).

I am very grateful that I came to see the light, as this allows me to fully appreciate and enjoy Penguin’s little black classics. For their 80th birthday, Penguin released 80 small books that cost 80 pennies (1.50 euros). The series is pure genius, both in terms of the concept and the execution. All the books are about 50 pages, beautifully designed and with brief, to-the-point blurbs.

The selection of texts is inspired: from Three Tang Dynasty Poets to Chekhov’s Gooseberries, from Christina Rosetti’s The Goblin Market to Marco Polo’s Travels in the Land of Serpents and Pearls, from Austen to Hafez and Marx and Sappho. The choices are remarkably diverse and all the texts sound appealing. Just reading the titles makes me feel smarter and more interesting already.

These books are perfect for anyone short on money or time or both, but still craving an intellectual and/or emotional boost, a little stretch of one’s mind. I read Katherine Mansfield’s Miss Brill (three perfectly formed short stories) on the train from Paris to Brussels, in half an hour. I tell you, I know of no faster cure for feeling ignorant and provincial than these books. The relief may be temporary, but then again – there’s always another one of these you can read.

PS Little Black Classics seem to be limited edition, but there are still quite a few you can get in places where English language books are sold.