The Story Prize Longlist for Short Story Collections Published in 2019

In 2019, The Story Prize received as entries 94 books published by 72 publishers or imprints. We choose the shortlist of three finalists first, then release our longlist a few weeks later. Between the three finalists, The Story Prize Spotlight Award winner, and the longlist, we acknowledge a total of 20 books. Here then is the longlist of 16 outstanding short story collections:

• Sing to It by Amy Hempel (Scribner)
• False Bingo by Jac Jemc (MCD x FSG Originals)
• Joy by Erin McGraw (Counterpoint)
• Instructions for a Funeral by David Means (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
• Minutes of Glory by Ngũgĩ  wa Thiong'o (The New Press)
• Honey in the Carcase by Josip Novakovich (Dzanc Books)
• Maggie Brown & Others by Peter Orner (Little, Brown and Company)
• Black Light by Kimberly King Parsons (Vintage Books)
• The Rapture Index by Molly Reid (BOA Editions)
• You Know You Want This by Kristen Roupenian (Scout Press)
• Orange World by Karen Russell (Alfred A. Knopf)
• The World Doesn't Require You by Rion Amilcar Scott (Liveright)
• Guestbook by Leanne Shapton (Riverhead Books)
• She Was Like That by Kate Walbert (Scribner)
• Home Remedies by Xuan Juliana Wang (Hogarth)
• Lot by Bryan Washington (Riverhead Books)

Every writer who published a short story collection in 2019 accomplished something of great significance and deserves an enormous amount of credit. It's always difficult to narrow the field down, and this time was no exception.

We'll announce the winner of The Story Prize at an event co-sponsored with The New School's Creative Writing program at the auditorium at 66 W. 12 Street on March 6. At the event, finalists Edwidge Danticat, Kali Fajardo-Anstine, and Zadie Smith will read from and discuss their work. You can buy tickets in advance online or that night at the box office.

The Trojan War Museum by Ayşe Papatya Bucak Is the Winner of The Story Prize Spotlight Award

Beyond naming three finalists each January, we also present The Story Prize Spotlight Award to a collection of exceptional merit. Selected books can be promising works by first-time authors, collections in alternative formats, or works that demonstrate an unusual perspective on the writer's craft. The award includes a prize of $1,000. 

We're pleased to announce that the winner for books published in 2019 is The Trojan War Museum by Ayşe Papatya Bucak (W.W. Norton), a collection of ten inventive stories that through a variety of historical and contemporary settings deftly explores issues of identity, history, culture, myth, and mythmaking. 

This is the eighth time we've given out The Story Prize Spotlight Award. The seven previous winners were: Drifting House by Krys Lee, Byzantium by Ben Stroud, Praying Drunk by Kyle Minor, Killing and Dying by Adrian Tomine, Him, Me, Muhammad Ali by Randa Jarrar, Subcortical by Lee Conell, and Half Gods by Akil Kumarasamy. 

Congratulations to Ayşe Papatya Bucak and W.W. Norton for winning The Story Prize Spotlight Award for short story collections published in 2019.

The 2019/20 Finalists for The Story Prize Are: Edwidge Danticat, Kali Fajardo-Anstine, and Zadie Smith

We're pleased to announce as this year's finalists for The Story Prize three outstanding short story collections chosen from 94 submissions representing 72 different publishers or imprints.  Everything Inside by Edwidge Danticat (Alfred A. Knopf) Sabrina & Corina by Kali Fajardo-Anstine (One World) Grand Union by Zadie Smith (Penguin Press) The winner will be announced at The Story Prize's annual award event at the New School's Auditorium at 66 West 12th Street in New York City at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 26. Tickets to the event are $14, which goes toward supporting The Story Prize and literary programs at The New School. That night, finalists Danticat, Fajardo-Anstine, and Smith will read from and discuss their work on-stage. After which we will announce the winner and present that author with $20,000 and an engraved silver bowl. The two runners-up will each receive $5,000.The Story Prize is co-sponsored by the Graduate Writing Program at The New School.  Story Prize Founder Julie Lindsey and Director Larry Dark selected the finalists. Three independent judges will determine the winner: Author and librarian Kristen Arnett. Founder of ElectricLiterature, the Literary Hub, and Catapult--and publisher of Catapult, Counterpoint, Black Balloon, and Softskull Books--Andy Hunter. Author Tiphanie Yanique. In the weeks ahead, we'll announce this year's winner of The Story Prize Spotlight Award. We'll also publish a long list of other exceptional collections we read last year.