Hysteria 9 is the anthology of finalists in the Short Story, Poetry and Flash Fiction categories from the Hysteria Writing Competition 2022. The competition opens each year on the 1st of April each year and closes at midnight on the 31st of August. You can find out more about the competition, including rules and guidelines for entries on the website: www.hysteriawc.co.uk. I am fascinated by the way words and language can be used in such a multitude of ways to invoke a sense of space, place, scenario or persona. Each year I’m blown away by the quality of the stories and poetry that emerge from the creative imagination of so many people, and this year is no exception. The theme of this year's competition was Peace. All the entries deserve to be read again and again as I believe they have the insight and power to help our species navigate away from a sense of constant conflict towards the real peace that is available when we recognise we are all one.