Taking its cue from the so-called “seven deadly sins”, this short story collection brings together seven distinctively different female authors to create an innovatively new work sure to provoke and engage its readers.

Each short story in this collection centers on one of the so-called “seven deadly sins”, namely gluttony, indolence, greed, pride, wrath, lust, and envy, with each author crafting their own unique take on the subject at hand. Taken as a whole, this book sheds light on the universally complicated yet individually unique lived experiences, constraints, desires, and social expectations of women at different stages of life.

The main protagonists in each story range from lesbian partners and young students to mothers and wives, and narratives take readers on journeys that, while at times warmly intimate, more often than not end in surprising plot twists foreshadowed by the myriad biting undercurrents, pressures, patriarchal expectations, and generational conflicts facing women as they grow and mature into their own. The unique writing style and perspective of each author help tie a brilliantly perfect bow on this encapsulation of life for women in modern society.

The seven established and up-and-coming female authors from Taiwan who contributed to this collection bring experiences spanning writing, translation, creative art, and design. Moreover, the bold photographs and illustrations accompanying these stories add visual punch to the narratives’ underlying ideas and finely honed insights. Finally, the unusual editing framework employed in SEVEN, beyond breaching the protective façade of superficiality to let readers experience the complex realities of femininity today, sows the seeds of introspective thought and provocative, continuing conversations.