I listened to the BBC radio the other day, the reporters mentioned  6-word story by Ernest Hemingway, of which he said the most powerful story he had ever written. Many of you might have heard of it:

“For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”

For my curiosity, I see the Guardian challenges leading writers to compose their own version of 6-word story and here they are:

"Samaritans." "I'm listening." "Hello?" "Hel..." "Samaritans..."
Michel Faber

"It can't be. I'm a virgin."
Kate Atkinson

Set sail, great storm, all lost.
John Banville

Dream punctured. Build pyre. Curses... Adolf.
Beryl Bainbridge

See that shadow? (It's not yours.)
Jim Crace

Defenestrated baby, methamphetamine, prison, rehab, relapse.
Jeffrey Eugenides

Juicy offer. Must decline. Still paralysed.
Richard Ford

Bob's last message: Bermuda Triangle, Baloney.
Elmore Leonard

Dad called: DNA back: he isn't.
Helen Fielding

Humorous book: critic died laughing. Sued.
Alexander McCall Smith

"Kiss me." "?" "Kiss me.." "?!!" "Oh, sorry."
Jon McGregor

Mother's-milk. Ribena. Tetley's. Chibuku-Shake-Shake. Complan. Morphine.
Marina Lewycka

"Apple?" "No." "Taste!" "ADAM?" Oh God.
David Lodge

Evil isn't necessarily unkind. Gran next.
DBC Pierre

Megan's baby: John's surname, Jim's eyes.
Simon Armitage

Purse found. "No notes," she said.
Andrew O'Hagan

Served the pie, watched him die.
Maggie O'Farrell

Thought love must fade: but no.
George Saunders

He didn't. She did. Big mistake.
AL Kennedy

They awaited sunrise. It never came.
AS Byatt

In the end, everything simply began.
Ali Smith

Stop me before I kill again.
Hari Kunzru

Free to good home. Extraneous coffin.
Barbara Trapido

I repented and turned to Christ.
Ian Sansom

"Hello?" "Cupcake." "Douglas?! I'm... married." [click]
Miranda July

The pillow smelled like my brother.
Patrick Neate

It was a dark, stormy... aaaaargggh!
John Lanchester

Armageddon imminent. Make list. Tick most.
Ian Rankin

Catherine had treasonable sex. Heads rolled.
Helen Simpson

"The Earth? We ate it yesterday."
Yann Martel

A&E IOU
Toby Litt

Funeral followed honeymoon. He was 90.
Graham Swift

Womb. Bloom. Groom. Gloom. Rheum. Tomb.
Blake Morrison

Pain, unutterable pain, stertorous exhalation. Death.
Will Self

"Mind what gap?" ... ... ...
Hilary Mantel

Have you decided what would be your version of 6-word story? 

Mine would be:

"She says, he listens: who cares?"

Monnita