Preservation — Fiona Kidman

A serious but also blackly funny short story about old friendships, love and formaldehyde by one of New Zealand's most distinguished writers. Now middle-aged, the one-time teenage rebels live staid, safe lives, while their friend Jan, who had been the good one of their pack, is now locked up in prison. With Jan's mother just dead, there is no one to organise the funeral except for her two old class mates. They agree to help, but Jan's request for a special dress for the corpse leads to a moral dilemma.