Life, as the saying goes, is full of surprises. We all know strange-but-true stories of things that have happened to us, or to friends or relatives, that seem odd, improbable, or just plain weird. Coincidences, unexpected reunions, strokes of luck or misfortune, all have the power to present themselves to us at any time, with the resultant happiness or pain being equally unpredictable. Since November 2003 readers of the Sunday Telegraph Magazine have been sending in their own accounts, in no more than 600 words, of episodes from their lives that have stuck with them, often for decades. IN YOUR OWN WORDS brings together the best of these mini-essays on life's capriciousness, showing not just the amazing talent for story-telling that 'ordinary people' possess, but how the fate of individuals and sometimes whole families can turn on the most trivial of incidents. Often funny, sometimes sad, always compelling, IN YOUR OWN WORDS is a perfect book for dipping in and out of that also shows the full wonder of life's rich tapestry.

A hundred true stories of remarkable coincidence and quirks of fate.

Anna Murphy is the editor of the Sunday Telegraph Magazine and the creator of the "In Your Own Words" column. This is her first book.