Trevor began publishing in 1964; his literary work includes eleven novels, two novellas, and nine collections of short stories. He has also written television scripts and criticism, and has edited collections of the work of other writers. Earlier prizewinning novels The Children of Dynmouth (1976) and Fools of Fortune (1983) are good introductions to his longer work. Readers who want to observe the development of his themes over time should compare the stories in After Rain with his first collection The Day We Got Drunk on Cake (1968). The Collected Stories (1992) represents a generous sampling of his work. A collection of autobiographical essays, Excursions in the Real World (1994) invites readers to speculate on possible relationships between Trevor's own life and the subjects and themes of his fiction.