O. Henry Award
Encyclopedia
The O. Henry Award is the only yearly award given to short stories
of exceptional merit. The award is named after the American
master of the form, O. Henry
.
The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories is an annual collection of the year's twenty best stories published in U.S. and Canadian
magazines, written in English.
The award itself is called The O. Henry Award, not the O. Henry Prize, though until recently there were first, second and third prize winners; the collection is called The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories, and the original collection was called Prize Stories 1919: The O. Henry Memorial Awards.
The goal of The O. Henry Prize Stories remains to strengthen the art of the short story. Starting in 2003, The O. Henry Prize Stories is dedicated to a writer who has made a major contribution to the art of the short story. The O. Henry Prize Stories 2007 was dedicated to Sherwood Anderson
, a U.S. short-story writer. Jurors for 2007 were Charles D'Ambrosio
, Lily Tuck
and Ursula K. Le Guin
.
The current series editor
for The O. Henry Prize Stories is Laura Furman
.
The selection included stories by Graham Joyce
, Kristen Sundberg Lunstrum, E. V. Slate, John Burnside
, Mohan Sikka, L. E. Miller, Alistair Morgan, Roger Nash
, Manuel Muñoz
, Caitlin Horrocks, Ha Jin
, Paul Theroux
, Judy Troy
, Nadine Gordimer
,Viet Dinh (not to be confused with conservative jurist Viet Dinh), Karen Brown (author), Marisa Silver
, Paul Yoon
, Andrew Sean Greer
and Junot Díaz
, with A. S. Byatt
, Tim O'Brien
and Anthony Doerr
– all authors of past O. Henry Prize Stories – serving as the prize jury.
In an interview for the Vintage Books
and Anchor Books blog, editor Laura Furman
called the collaboration with PEN a "natural partnership."
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
of exceptional merit. The award is named after the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
master of the form, O. Henry
O. Henry
O. Henry was the pen name of the American writer William Sydney Porter . O. Henry's short stories are well known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization and clever twist endings.-Early life:...
.
The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories is an annual collection of the year's twenty best stories published in U.S. and Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
magazines, written in English.
The award itself is called The O. Henry Award, not the O. Henry Prize, though until recently there were first, second and third prize winners; the collection is called The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories, and the original collection was called Prize Stories 1919: The O. Henry Memorial Awards.
History and format
The award was first presented in 1919, and is funded by the Society of Arts and Sciences. As of 2003, the series editor chooses twenty short stories, each one an O. Henry Prize story. All stories originally written in the English language and published in an American or Canadian periodical are eligible for consideration. Three jurors are appointed annually. The jurors receive the twenty prize stories in manuscript form, with no identification of author or publication. Each juror, acting independently, chooses a short story of special interest and merit, and comments on that story.The goal of The O. Henry Prize Stories remains to strengthen the art of the short story. Starting in 2003, The O. Henry Prize Stories is dedicated to a writer who has made a major contribution to the art of the short story. The O. Henry Prize Stories 2007 was dedicated to Sherwood Anderson
Sherwood Anderson
Sherwood Anderson was an American novelist and short story writer. His most enduring work is the short story sequence Winesburg, Ohio. Writers he has influenced include Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, John Steinbeck, J. D. Salinger, and Amos Oz.-Early life:Anderson was born in Clyde, Ohio,...
, a U.S. short-story writer. Jurors for 2007 were Charles D'Ambrosio
Charles D'Ambrosio
-Life:D'Ambrosio grew up in Seattle, Washington, and now lives in Portland, Oregon. He attended Oberlin College and graduated from the Iowa Writers Workshop, where he has been a visiting faculty member...
, Lily Tuck
Lily Tuck
Lily Tuck is an American novelist and short story writer whose novel The News from Paraguay won the 2004 National Book Award. Her novel Siam was nominated for the 2000 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction...
and Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula Kroeber Le Guin is an American author. She has written novels, poetry, children's books, essays, and short stories, notably in fantasy and science fiction...
.
The current series editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
for The O. Henry Prize Stories is Laura Furman
Laura Furman
Laura J. Furman is an American author best known for her role as series editor for the O. Henry Awards prize story collection. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Mirabella, Ploughshares, Southwest Review....
.
Partnership with PEN American Center
In 2009 The O. Henry Prize Stories publisher, Anchor Books, renamed the series in partnership with the PEN American Center, producing the first PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories collection. Proceeds from the PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories 2009 would be directed to PEN's Readers & Writers Program, which sends well-known authors to under served inner-city schools.The selection included stories by Graham Joyce
Graham Joyce
Graham Joyce is an English writer of speculative fiction and the recipient of numerous awards for both his novels and short stories. He grew up in a small mining village just outside of Coventry to a working class family. After receiving a B.Ed. from Bishop Lonsdale College in 1977 and a M.A. from...
, Kristen Sundberg Lunstrum, E. V. Slate, John Burnside
John Burnside
John Burnside is a Scottish writer, born in Dunfermline.-Background:Burnside studied English and European Languages at Cambridge College of Arts and Technology. A former computer software engineer, he has been a freelance writer since 1996...
, Mohan Sikka, L. E. Miller, Alistair Morgan, Roger Nash
Roger Nash
Roger Nash BA, MA, PhD is a Canadian philosopher and poet. He was born in Maidenhead, Berkshire, England on November 3, 1942. He grew up in England, Egypt, Cyprus, Singapore and Hong Kong. He has a B.A. from the University of Wales , an M.A. from McMaster University and a Ph.D...
, Manuel Muñoz
Manuel Muñoz
Manuel Muñoz is a Spanish sprint canoer who competed in the early 2000s. He won three medals at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships with a silver and two bronzes .- References :**...
, Caitlin Horrocks, Ha Jin
Ha Jin
Jīn Xuěfēi is a contemporary Chinese-American writer and novelist using the pen name Ha Jin . Ha comes from his favorite city, Harbin.-Early life:...
, Paul Theroux
Paul Theroux
Paul Edward Theroux is an American travel writer and novelist, whose best known work of travel writing is perhaps The Great Railway Bazaar . He has also published numerous works of fiction, some of which were made into feature films. He was awarded the 1981 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his...
, Judy Troy
Judy Troy
Judy Troy is a Professor at Auburn University, as well as a short story writer and novelist. Before becoming writer-in-residence at Auburn, she taught at Indiana University and the University of Missouri...
, Nadine Gordimer
Nadine Gordimer
Nadine Gordimer is a South African writer and political activist. She was awarded the 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature when she was recognised as a woman "who through her magnificent epic writing has – in the words of Alfred Nobel – been of very great benefit to humanity".Her writing has long dealt...
,Viet Dinh (not to be confused with conservative jurist Viet Dinh), Karen Brown (author), Marisa Silver
Marisa Silver
Marisa Silver is an American author, screenwriter and film director.Silver was born in Shaker Heights, Ohio, to Raphael Silver, a film director and producer, and Joan Micklin Silver, a director....
, Paul Yoon
Paul Yoon
Paul Yoon is an American short story writer.He attended Phillips Exeter Academy, and Wesleyan University.He lives in Boston....
, Andrew Sean Greer
Andrew Sean Greer
Andrew Sean Greer is an American novelist and short story writer.He is the bestselling author of The Story of a Marriage, which The New York Times has called an “inspired, lyrical novel,” and The Confessions of Max Tivoli, which was named one of the best books of 2004 by the San Francisco...
and Junot Díaz
Junot Díaz
Junot Díaz is a Dominican-American writer and creative writing professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology . Central to Díaz's work is the immigrant experience...
, with A. S. Byatt
A. S. Byatt
Dame Antonia Susan Duffy, DBE is an English novelist, poet and Booker Prize winner...
, Tim O'Brien
Tim O'Brien (author)
Tim O'Brien is an American novelist who often writes about his experiences in the Vietnam War and the impact the war had on the American servicemen who fought there...
and Anthony Doerr
Anthony Doerr
Anthony Doerr is an American fiction writer. Raised in nearby Novelty, Ohio, he majored in history at Bowdoin College and earned an MFA from Bowling Green State University....
– all authors of past O. Henry Prize Stories – serving as the prize jury.
In an interview for the Vintage Books
Vintage Books
Vintage Books is a publishing imprint founded in 1954 by Alfred A. Knopf. Its publishing list includes world literature, fiction, and non-fiction...
and Anchor Books blog, editor Laura Furman
Laura Furman
Laura J. Furman is an American author best known for her role as series editor for the O. Henry Awards prize story collection. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Mirabella, Ploughshares, Southwest Review....
called the collaboration with PEN a "natural partnership."
Juror favorites, first-prize winners
For more information or complete lists of yearly winners, visit The O. Henry Prize Stories website.| 2010 |
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| 2009 |
Graham Joyce Graham Joyce is an English writer of speculative fiction and the recipient of numerous awards for both his novels and short stories. He grew up in a small mining village just outside of Coventry to a working class family. After receiving a B.Ed. from Bishop Lonsdale College in 1977 and a M.A. from... : "An Ordinary Soldier of the Queen" in The Paris Review Junot Díaz Junot Díaz is a Dominican-American writer and creative writing professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology . Central to Díaz's work is the immigrant experience... : "Wildwood" in The New Yorker The New Yorker The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast... |
| 2008 |
Alexi Zentner Alexi Zentner is a Canadian / American short story writer, and novelist.-Life:He graduated from Cornell University with an MFA.He taught at Cornell University.... : "Touch" in Tin House Tin House Tin House is an American literary magazine and book publisher based in Portland, Oregon and New York City. The Tin House magazine was conceived in the summer of 1998 by Portland publisher Win McCormack. He envisioned a journal that would be graphically appealing and free of the stale substance... Alice Munro Alice Ann Munro is a Canadian short-story writer, the winner of the 2009 Man Booker International Prize for her lifetime body of work, a three-time winner of Canada's Governor General's Award for fiction, and a perennial contender for the Nobel Prize... : "What Do You Want To Know For?" in The American Scholar The American Scholar (magazine) The American Scholar is the literary quarterly of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, founded in 1932. The magazine has won fourteen National Magazine Awards from the American Society of Magazine Editors from 1999 to present, including awards for General Excellence... William Trevor William Trevor, KBE is an Irish author and playwright. He is considered one of the elder statesman of the Irish literary world and widely regarded as the greatest contemporary writer of short stories in the English language.... : "Folie a Deux" in The New Yorker The New Yorker The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast... |
| 2007 |
Eddie Chuculate Eddie Chuculate is an American fiction writer of Muscogee and Cherokee descent. His first book, Cheyenne Madonna, was published in July 2010 by Black Sparrow Books, an imprint of David R. Godine, Publisher, in Boston. Chuculate won a PEN/O... : "Galveston Bay, 1826" in Manoa Manoa (journal) Mānoa is a literary journal that includes American and international fiction, poetry, artwork, interviews, and essays of current cultural or literary interest. A notable feature of each issue is original translations of contemporary work from Asian and Pacific nations, selected for each issue by a... , Vol 16., No. 2, Winter 2004 William Trevor William Trevor, KBE is an Irish author and playwright. He is considered one of the elder statesman of the Irish literary world and widely regarded as the greatest contemporary writer of short stories in the English language.... : "The Room" in The New Yorker The New Yorker The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast... , May 16, 2005 |
| 2006 |
Edward P. Jones Edward Paul Jones is an American novelist and short story writer. His 2003 novel The Known World received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.-Biography:... : "Old Boys, Old Girls" in The New Yorker The New Yorker The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast... , May 3, 2004 Tin House Tin House is an American literary magazine and book publisher based in Portland, Oregon and New York City. The Tin House magazine was conceived in the summer of 1998 by Portland publisher Win McCormack. He envisioned a journal that would be graphically appealing and free of the stale substance... , Issue 19, Spring 2004 Alice Munro Alice Ann Munro is a Canadian short-story writer, the winner of the 2009 Man Booker International Prize for her lifetime body of work, a three-time winner of Canada's Governor General's Award for fiction, and a perennial contender for the Nobel Prize... : "Passion" in The New Yorker The New Yorker The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast... , March 22, 2004 |
| 2005 |
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, CBE is a Booker prize-winning novelist, short story writer, and two-time Academy Award-winning screenwriter. She is perhaps best known for her long collaboration with Merchant Ivory Productions, made up of director James Ivory and the late producer Ismail Merchant... : "Refuge in London" in Zoetrope Zoetrope: All-Story Zoetrope: All-Story is an American literary magazine that was launched in 1997 by Francis Ford Coppola. Blooming from Francis Coppola's "Crazy Idea Department," All-Story is devoted to showcasing the most promising voices in short-fiction... , Vol. 7, No. 4, Winter 2003 Sherman Alexie Sherman Joseph Alexie, Jr. is a writer, poet, filmmaker, and occasional comedian. Much of his writing draws on his experiences as a Native American. Two of Alexie's best known works are The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven , a book of short stories and Smoke Signals, a film... : "What You Pawn I Will Redeem" in The New Yorker The New Yorker The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast... , April 21, 2003 Elizabeth Stuckey-French -Life:Stuckey-French was born on Sept. 2nd, 1958 in Little Rock. She grew up in the town of Lafayette, IN.She graduated from Purdue University and was founding editor of the Sycamore Review.She was a James A... : "Mudlavia" in The Atlantic Monthly The Atlantic Monthly The Atlantic is an American magazine founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1857. It was created as a literary and cultural commentary magazine. It quickly achieved a national reputation, which it held for more than a century. It was important for recognizing and publishing new writers and poets,... , Sept. 2003 |
| 2004 |
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| 2003 |
Denis Johnson Denis Hale Johnson is an American author who is known for his short-story collection Jesus' Son and his novel Tree of Smoke , which won the National Book Award. He also writes plays, poetry and non-fiction.- Biography :... : "Train Dreams" in The Paris Review Paris Review The Paris Review is a literary quarterly founded in 1953 by Harold L. Humes, Peter Matthiessen and George Plimpton. Plimpton edited the Review from its founding until his death in 2003. In its first five years, The Paris Review published works by Jack Kerouac, Philip Larkin, V. S... , Summer 2002 A. S. Byatt Dame Antonia Susan Duffy, DBE is an English novelist, poet and Booker Prize winner... : "The Thing in The Forest" in The New Yorker The New Yorker The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast... , June 3, 2002 |
| 2002 |
Kevin Brockmeier Kevin John Brockmeier is an American writer of fantasy and literary fiction. His short stories have been printed in numerous publications and he has published two collections of stories, two children's novels, and two fantasy novels... : "The Ceiling The Ceiling (short story) The Ceiling is a short story by American writer Kevin Brockmeier that won the O. Henry Award in 2002. It previously appeared in McSweeney's Number 7.-External links:... ” in McSweeney's Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern is a literary journal, first published in 1998, edited by Dave Eggers. The first issue featured only works rejected by other magazines, but thereafter the journal began to include pieces written with McSweeney's in mind. McSweeney’s has since published works by... , No. 7 |
| 2001 |
Mary Swan Mary Swan is a Canadian novelist and short story writer. She is also a trained librarian with a keen eye for history. Her novel The Boys in the Trees, a shortlisted nominee for the 2008 Scotiabank Giller Prize. was inspired by a newspaper clipping concerning a death within a family.Swan was the... : "The Deep” in The Malahat Review, No. 131 |
| 2000 |
John Edgar Wideman John Edgar Wideman is an American writer, professor at Brown University, and sits on the contributing editorial board of the literary journal Conjunctions.-Early life:... : "Weight” in The Callaloo Journal The Callaloo Journal Callaloo was founded in 1976 by its current editor, Charles Henry Rowell, when he was teaching at Southern University . He originally described the fledgling periodical as a “Black South Journal,” whose function was to serve as a publication outlet for marginalized writers in the racially... , Vol. 22, No. 3 |
| 1999 |
Peter Baida Peter Baida was an American short story writer.-Life:He graduated from Harvard College , Boston University , and the University of Pennsylvania with an M.B.A... : "A Nurse's Story” in The Gettysburg Review, Vol. 13, No. 3 |
| 1998 |
Lorrie Moore Lorrie Moore is an American fiction writer known mainly for her humorous and poignant short stories.-Biography:... : "People Like That Are the Only People Here” in The New Yorker, January 27, 1997 |
| 1997 |
Ploughshares Ploughshares is an American literary magazine founded in 1971 by DeWitt Henry and Peter O'Malley in The Plough and Stars, an Irish pub in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Since 1989, Ploughshares has been based at Emerson College in the heart of Boston... , Vol. 22, No. 1 |
| 1996 |
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books... : "The Man in the Black Suit” in The New Yorker, October 31, 1994 |
| 1995 |
Cornelia Nixon -Education:Nixon attended the University of California, Irvine where she earned her B.A.. She received an M.F.A. from San Francisco State University and the Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.-Career:... : "The Women Come and Go” in New England Review New England Review The New England Review is a quarterly literary magazine published by Middlebury College. Founded in New Hampshire in 1978 by poet, novelist, editor and professor Sydney Lea and poet Jay Parini, it was published as New England Review & Bread Loaf Quarterly from 1982 , until 1991 as a formal... , Spring 1994 |
| 1994 |
The Atlantic Monthly The Atlantic is an American magazine founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1857. It was created as a literary and cultural commentary magazine. It quickly achieved a national reputation, which it held for more than a century. It was important for recognizing and publishing new writers and poets,... , January 1993 |
| 1993 |
Thom Jones Thom Jones is an American writer, primarily of short stories.-Biography:Jones was raised in Aurora, Illinois, and attended the University of Hawaii, where he played catcher on the baseball team... : "The Pugilist at Rest” in The New Yorker, December 2, 1991 |
| 1992 |
Cynthia Ozick Cynthia Ozick is an American short story writer, novelist, and essayist. She is the niece of the Hebraist Abraham Regelson.-Background:Cynthia Shoshana Ozick was born in New York City, the second of two children... : "Puttermesser Paired” in The New Yorker, October 8, 1990 |
| 1991 |
John Updike John Hoyer Updike was an American novelist, poet, short story writer, art critic, and literary critic.... : "A Sandstone Farmhouse” in The New Yorker, June 11, 1990 |
| 1990 |
Leo E. Litwak -Life:He attended Wayne State University and Columbia University. He taught at San Francisco State University.His work appeared in the New York Times,His papers are held at Washington University.... : "The Eleventh Edition” in TriQuarterly, No. 74, Winter 1989 |
| 1989 |
Ernest J. Finney -Life:He grew up in San Bruno, just south of San Francisco.He was friends with Raymond Carver at Chico State College, and lived in Sierra County, California.His work appeared in The Missouri Review, ZyzzyvaHe lives in Visalia, California.-Works:*... : "Peacocks” in The Sewanee Review Sewanee Review The Sewanee Review is a literary journal established in 1892 and the oldest continuously published periodical of its kind in the United States. It incorporates original fiction and poetry, as well as essays, reviews, and literary criticism... , Winter 1988 |
| 1988 |
Raymond Carver Raymond Clevie Carver, Jr. was an American short story writer and poet. Carver is considered a major American writer of the late 20th century and also a major force in the revitalization of the short story in the 1980s.... : "Errand” in The New Yorker, June 1, 1987 |
| 1987 |
Louise Erdrich Karen Louise Erdrich, known as Louise Erdrich, is an author of novels, poetry, and children's books featuring Native American heritage. She is widely acclaimed as one of the most significant writers of the second wave of what critic Kenneth Lincoln has called the Native American Renaissance... : "Fleur” in Esquire Esquire (magazine) Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:... , August 1986 Joyce Johnson Joyce Johnson is an American author of fiction and nonfiction who won a National Book Critics Circle Award for her memoir Minor Characters about her relationship with Jack Kerouac.-Personal life:... : "The Children's Wing” in Harper's Magazine Harper's Magazine Harper's Magazine is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts, with a generally left-wing perspective. It is the second-oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. . The current editor is Ellen Rosenbush, who replaced Roger Hodge in January 2010... , July 1986 |
| 1986 |
Alice Walker Alice Malsenior Walker is an American author, poet, and activist. She has written both fiction and essays about race and gender... : "Kindred Spirits” in Esquire, August 1985 |
| 1985 |
Stuart Dybek -Personal life:Dybek was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Chicago's Little Village and Pilsen neighborhoods in the 1950s and early 1960s. Dybek graduated from St. Rita of Cascia High School in 1959... : "Hot Ice” in Antaeus Jane Smiley Jane Smiley is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist.-Biography:Born in Los Angeles, California, Smiley grew up in Webster Groves, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, and graduated from John Burroughs School. She obtained an A.B. at Vassar College, then earned an M.F.A. and Ph.D. from the... : "Lily” in The Atlantic Monthly |
| 1984 |
Cynthia Ozick Cynthia Ozick is an American short story writer, novelist, and essayist. She is the niece of the Hebraist Abraham Regelson.-Background:Cynthia Shoshana Ozick was born in New York City, the second of two children... : "Rosa” in The New Yorker, March 21, 1983 Gordon Lish Gordon Jay Lish is an American writer. As a literary editor, he championed many American authors, particularly Raymond Carver, Barry Hannah, Amy Hempel, and Richard Ford.-Early life and family:... : "For Jeromé—with Love and Kisses" in "The Antioch Review", Summer 1983, 1984 |
| 1983 |
Raymond Carver Raymond Clevie Carver, Jr. was an American short story writer and poet. Carver is considered a major American writer of the late 20th century and also a major force in the revitalization of the short story in the 1980s.... : "A Small, Good Thing” in Ploughshares Ploughshares Ploughshares is an American literary magazine founded in 1971 by DeWitt Henry and Peter O'Malley in The Plough and Stars, an Irish pub in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Since 1989, Ploughshares has been based at Emerson College in the heart of Boston... , Vol. 8, Nos. 2 & 3 |
| 1982 |
Susan Kenney Susan McIlvaine Kenney is an American short story writer, and novelist.-Life:She was born in Summit, New Jersey, and spent her childhood in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York. She graduated from Northwestern University with a B.A. Phi Beta Kappa, and from Cornell University, with a Ph. D... : "Facing Front” in Epoch, Winter 1980 |
| 1981 |
Cynthia Ozick Cynthia Ozick is an American short story writer, novelist, and essayist. She is the niece of the Hebraist Abraham Regelson.-Background:Cynthia Shoshana Ozick was born in New York City, the second of two children... : "The Shawl” in The New Yorker, May 26, 1980 |
| 1980 |
Saul Bellow Saul Bellow was a Canadian-born Jewish American writer. For his literary contributions, Bellow was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, the Nobel Prize for Literature, and the National Medal of Arts... : "A Silver Dish” in The New Yorker, September 25, 1978 |
| 1979 |
Gordon Weaver Gordon Weaver is an award-winning American novelist and short story writer.-Life:Born in Moline, Illinois, the fifth of the five children of Noble Rodell Weaver and Inez Katherine Nelson, his family moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1941. He graduated from Wauwatosa High School in 1955... : "Getting Serious” in The Sewanee Review, Fall 1977 Anne Leaton Anne Leaton is a novelist, short story writer, and poet whose works have been published in England and America and whose radio plays have been broadcast on the BBC.-Life:... : "The Passion of Marco Z" in Transatlantic Review, 55/56 |
| 1978 |
Woody Allen Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema... : "The Kugelmass Episode” in The New Yorker, May 2, 1977 |
| 1977 |
Shirley Hazzard Shirley Hazzard is an Australian author of fiction and nonfiction. She was born in Australia, but holds citizenship in Great Britain and the United States... : "A Long Story Short” in The New Yorker, July 26, 1976 Ella Leffland Ella Leffland is an American novelist and short story writer. Though the themes of her early works dealt with California, where she grew up, she is perhaps best known for her historic novel based on the life of Hermann Göring, The Knight, Death, and The Devil, published in 1990.Leffland was born... : "Last Courtesies” in Harper's Magazine, July 1976 |
| 1976 |
Harold Brodkey Harold Brodkey, born Aaron Roy Weintraub was an American writer, and novelist.-Life:Brodkey was raised in University City, Missouri outside St. Louis... : "His Son in His Arms, in Light, Aloft” in Esquire, August 1975 |
| 1975 |
Harold Brodkey Harold Brodkey, born Aaron Roy Weintraub was an American writer, and novelist.-Life:Brodkey was raised in University City, Missouri outside St. Louis... : "A Story in an Almost Classical Mode” in The New Yorker, September 17, 1973 Cynthia Ozick Cynthia Ozick is an American short story writer, novelist, and essayist. She is the niece of the Hebraist Abraham Regelson.-Background:Cynthia Shoshana Ozick was born in New York City, the second of two children... : "Usurpation (Other People's Stories)” in Esquire, May 1974 |
| 1974 |
Renata Adler Renata Adler is an American author, journalist and film critic.-Background and education:Adler was born in Milan, Italy, and grew up in Danbury, Connecticut. After gaining a B.A. in philosophy and German from Bryn Mawr, Adler studied for an M.A. in Comparative Literature at Harvard under I. A... : "Brownstone” in The New Yorker, January 27, 1973 |
| 1973 |
Joyce Carol Oates Joyce Carol Oates is an American author. Oates published her first book in 1963 and has since published over fifty novels, as well as many volumes of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction... : "The Dead” in McCall's McCall's McCall's was a monthly American women's magazine that enjoyed great popularity through much of the 20th century, peaking at a readership of 8.4 million in the early 1960s. It was established as a small-format magazine called The Queen in 1873... , July 1971 |
| 1972 |
John Batki -Life:He has been living in the United States since 1957.He has taught at Harvard University.His work appeared in The New Yorker,.He collects weavings and textiles since 1975.-References:... : "Strange-Dreaming Charlie, Cow-Eyed Charlie” in The New Yorker, March 20, 1971 |
| 1971 |
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| 1970 |
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| 1969 |
Bernard Malamud Bernard Malamud was an author of novels and short stories. Along with Saul Bellow and Philip Roth, he was one of the great American Jewish authors of the 20th century. His baseball novel, The Natural, was adapted into a 1984 film starring Robert Redford... : "Man in the Drawer” in The Atlantic Monthly, April 1968 |
| 1968 |
Eudora Welty Eudora Alice Welty was an American author of short stories and novels about the American South. Her novel The Optimist's Daughter won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973. Welty was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among numerous awards. She was the first living author to have her works published... : "The Demonstrators” in The New Yorker, November 26, 1966 |
| 1967 |
Joyce Carol Oates Joyce Carol Oates is an American author. Oates published her first book in 1963 and has since published over fifty novels, as well as many volumes of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction... : "In the Region of Ice” in The Atlantic Monthly, August 1966 |
| 1966 |
John Updike John Hoyer Updike was an American novelist, poet, short story writer, art critic, and literary critic.... : "The Bulgarian Poetess” in The New Yorker, March 13, 1965 |
| 1965 |
Flannery O'Connor Mary Flannery O'Connor was an American novelist, short-story writer and essayist. An important voice in American literature, O'Connor wrote two novels and 32 short stories, as well as a number of reviews and commentaries... : "Revelation” in The Sewanee Review, Spring 1964 |
| 1964 |
John Cheever John William Cheever was an American novelist and short story writer. He is sometimes called "the Chekhov of the suburbs." His fiction is mostly set in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the Westchester suburbs, old New England villages based on various South Shore towns around Quincy,... : "The Embarkment for Cythera” in The New Yorker, November 3, 1962 |
| 1963 |
Terry Southern Terry Southern was an American author, essayist, screenwriter and university lecturer, noted for his distinctive satirical style... : "The Road Out of Axotle" in "Esquire", August, 1962 Flannery O'Connor Mary Flannery O'Connor was an American novelist, short-story writer and essayist. An important voice in American literature, O'Connor wrote two novels and 32 short stories, as well as a number of reviews and commentaries... : "Everything That Rises Must Converge” in New World Writing |
| 1962 |
Katherine Anne Porter Katherine Anne Porter was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist, essayist, short story writer, novelist, and political activist. Her 1962 novel Ship of Fools was the best-selling novel in America that year, but her short stories received much more critical acclaim... : "Holiday” in The Atlantic Monthly, December 1960 |
| 1961 |
Tillie Olsen Tillie Lerner Olsen was an American writer associated with the political turmoil of the 1930s and the first generation of American feminists.-Biography:... : "Tell Me a Riddle” in New World Writing, No. 16 |
| 1960 |
Lawrence Sargent Hall -Career:Hall, a 1936 graduate of Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine who received his P.H.D. in English from Yale University in 1941, taught at several educational institutions including Deerfield Academy and Yale, before he taught English at Bowdoin from 1946 to 1967. He retired as a Henry Leland... : "The Ledge” in The Hudson Review, Winter, 1958–59 |
| 1959 |
The Kenyon Review The Kenyon Review is a Literary magazine based in Gambier, Ohio, USA, home of Kenyon College. The Review was founded in 1939 by John Crowe Ransom, critic and professor of English at Kenyon College, who served as its editor until 1959... |
| 1958 |
Martha Gellhorn Martha Gellhorn was an American novelist, travel writer and journalist, considered by The London Daily Telegraph amongst others to be one of the greatest war correspondents of the 20th century. She reported on virtually every major world conflict that took place during her 60-year career... : "In Sickness as in Health” in The Atlantic Monthly |
| 1957 |
Flannery O'Connor Mary Flannery O'Connor was an American novelist, short-story writer and essayist. An important voice in American literature, O'Connor wrote two novels and 32 short stories, as well as a number of reviews and commentaries... : "Greenleaf” in The Kenyon Review |
| 1956 |
John Cheever John William Cheever was an American novelist and short story writer. He is sometimes called "the Chekhov of the suburbs." His fiction is mostly set in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the Westchester suburbs, old New England villages based on various South Shore towns around Quincy,... : "The Country Husband” in The New Yorker |
| 1955 |
Jean Stafford Jean Stafford was an American short story writer and novelist, who won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Collected Stories of Jean Stafford in 1970.... : "In the Zoo” in The New Yorker |
| 1954 |
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| 1951 |
Harris Downey Harris Downey was an American short story writer, and novelist.-Life:He graduated from Louisiana State University with a B.A. and M.A. He Served in the Air Force. He taught at Louisiana State University, where he knew Lyle Saxon.His work appeared in Epoch, Prairie Schooner... : "The Hunters” in Epoch |
| 1950 |
Wallace Stegner Wallace Earle Stegner was an American historian, novelist, short story writer, and environmentalist, often called "The Dean of Western Writers"... : "The Blue-Winged Teal” in Harper's Magazine |
| 1949 |
William Faulkner William Cuthbert Faulkner was an American writer from Oxford, Mississippi. Faulkner worked in a variety of media; he wrote novels, short stories, a play, poetry, essays and screenplays during his career... : "A Courtship” in The Sewanee Review |
| 1948 |
Truman Capote Truman Streckfus Persons , known as Truman Capote , was an American author, many of whose short stories, novels, plays, and nonfiction are recognized literary classics, including the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's and the true crime novel In Cold Blood , which he labeled a "nonfiction novel." At... : "Shut a Final Door” in The Atlantic Monthly |
| 1947 |
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| 1946 |
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| 1945 |
Walter Van Tilburg Clark Walter Van Tilburg Clark was an American novelist, short story writer, and educator. He ranks as one of Nevada's most distinguished literary figures of the 20th century and is known primarily for his novels, his one volume of stories, as well as his uncollected short stories... : "The Wind and the Snow of Winter” in The Yale Review Yale Review The Yale Review is the self-proclaimed oldest literary quarterly in the United States. It is published by Yale University.It was founded originally in 1819 as The Christian Spectator. At its origin it was published to support Evangelicalism, but over time began to publish more on history and... |
| 1944 |
Irwin Shaw Irwin Shaw was a prolific American playwright, screenwriter, novelist, and short-story author whose written works have sold more than 14 million copies. He is best-known for his novel, The Young Lions about the fate of three soldiers during World War II that was made into a film starring Marlon... : "Walking Wounded” in The New Yorker |
| 1943 |
Eudora Welty Eudora Alice Welty was an American author of short stories and novels about the American South. Her novel The Optimist's Daughter won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973. Welty was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among numerous awards. She was the first living author to have her works published... : "Livvie is Back” in The Atlantic Monthly |
| 1942 |
Eudora Welty Eudora Alice Welty was an American author of short stories and novels about the American South. Her novel The Optimist's Daughter won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973. Welty was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among numerous awards. She was the first living author to have her works published... : "The Wide Net” in Harper's Magazine |
| 1941 |
Kay Boyle Kay Boyle was an American writer, educator, and political activist.- Early years :The granddaughter of a publisher, Kay Boyle was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, and grew up in several cities but principally in Cincinnati, Ohio... : "Defeat” in The New Yorker |
| 1940 |
Stephen Vincent Benét Stephen Vincent Benét was an American author, poet, short story writer, and novelist. Benét is best known for his book-length narrative poem of the American Civil War, John Brown's Body , for which he won a Pulitzer Prize in 1929, and for two short stories, "The Devil and Daniel Webster" and "By... : "Freedom's a Hard-Bought Thing” in The Saturday Evening Post The Saturday Evening Post The Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:... |
| 1939 |
William Faulkner William Cuthbert Faulkner was an American writer from Oxford, Mississippi. Faulkner worked in a variety of media; he wrote novels, short stories, a play, poetry, essays and screenplays during his career... : "Barn Burning” in Harper's Magazine |
| 1938 |
Albert Maltz Albert Maltz was an American author and screenwriter. He was one of the Hollywood Ten who were later blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studio bosses.... : "The Happiest Man on Earth” in Harper's Magazine |
| 1937 |
Stephen Vincent Benét Stephen Vincent Benét was an American author, poet, short story writer, and novelist. Benét is best known for his book-length narrative poem of the American Civil War, John Brown's Body , for which he won a Pulitzer Prize in 1929, and for two short stories, "The Devil and Daniel Webster" and "By... : "The Devil and Daniel Webster” in The Saturday Evening Post |
| 1936 |
James Gould Cozzens James Gould Cozzens was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist.He is often grouped today with his contemporaries John O'Hara and John P. Marquand, but his work is generally considered more challenging. Despite initial critical acclaim, his popularity came gradually... : "Total Stranger” in The Saturday Evening Post, February 15, 1936 |
| 1935 |
Kay Boyle Kay Boyle was an American writer, educator, and political activist.- Early years :The granddaughter of a publisher, Kay Boyle was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, and grew up in several cities but principally in Cincinnati, Ohio... : "The White Horses of Vienna” in Harper's Magazine |
| 1934 |
Louis Paul Louis Paul was an American short story writer, and novelist.He corresponded with John Steinbeck.His work appeared in American Mercury Esquire,... : "No More Trouble for Jedwick” in Esquire |
| 1933 |
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings was an American author who lived in rural Florida and wrote novels with rural themes and settings. Her best known work, The Yearling, about a boy who adopts an orphaned fawn, won a Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1939 and was later made into a movie, also known as The... : "Gal Young Un” in Harper's Magazine, June & July 1932 |
| 1932 |
Stephen Vincent Benét Stephen Vincent Benét was an American author, poet, short story writer, and novelist. Benét is best known for his book-length narrative poem of the American Civil War, John Brown's Body , for which he won a Pulitzer Prize in 1929, and for two short stories, "The Devil and Daniel Webster" and "By... : "An End to Dreams” in Pictorial Review Pictorial Review Pictorial Review is a magazine which first appeared in September, 1899. The magazine was originally designed to showcase dress patterns of William Paul Ahnelt's American Fashion Company. By the late 1920s it was one of the largest of the "women's magazines".... , February 1932 |
| 1931 |
Wilbur Daniel Steele Wilbur Daniel Steele was a U.S. author and playwright. He has been called "America's recognised master of the popular short story" between World War I and the Great Depression.... : "Can't Cross Jordan by Myself” in Pictorial Review |
| 1930 |
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| 1929 |
Dorothy Parker Dorothy Parker was an American poet, short story writer, critic and satirist, best known for her wit, wisecracks, and eye for 20th century urban foibles.... : "Big Blonde” in Bookman Magazine, February 1929 |
| 1928 |
Walter Duranty Walter Duranty was a Liverpool-born British journalist who served as the Moscow bureau chief of the New York Times from 1922 through 1936. Duranty won a Pulitzer Prize in 1932 for a set of stories written in 1931 on the Soviet Union... : "The Parrot” in Redbook Redbook Redbook is an American women's magazine published by the Hearst Corporation. It is one of the "Seven Sisters", a group of women's service magazines.-History:... , March 1928 |
| 1927 |
Roark Bradford Roark Whitney Wickliffe Bradford was an American short story writer and novelist.-Life:... : "Child of God” in Harper's Magazine, April 1927 |
| 1926 |
Wilbur Daniel Steele Wilbur Daniel Steele was a U.S. author and playwright. He has been called "America's recognised master of the popular short story" between World War I and the Great Depression.... : "Bubbles” in Harper's Magazine |
| 1925 |
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| 1924 |
Inez Haynes Irwin Inez Haynes Irwin was an American feminist author, journalist, member of the National Women's Party, and president of the Authors Guild. Many of her works were published under her former name Inez Haynes Gillmore. She wrote over 40 books and was active in the suffragist movement in the early 1900s... : "The Spring Flight” in McCall's, June 1924 |
| 1923 |
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| 1922 |
Irvin S. Cobb Irvin Shrewsbury Cobb was an American author, humorist, and columnist who lived in New York and authored more than 60 books and 300 short stories.-Biography:... : "Snake Doctor” in Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan (magazine) Cosmopolitan is an international magazine for women. It was first published in 1886 in the United States as a family magazine, was later transformed into a literary magazine and eventually became a women's magazine in the late 1960s... , November 1922 |
| 1921 |
Edison Marshall Edison Tesla Marshall was an American short story writer and novelist.-Life:... : "The Heart of Little Shikara” in Everybody's Magazine Everybody's Magazine Everybody's Magazine was an American magazine from 1899 to 1929.The magazine was founded by Philadelphia merchant John Wanamaker in 1899, though he had little role in its actual operations.... , January 1921 |
| 1920 |
Maxwell Struthers Burt Maxwell Struthers Burt , was an American novelist, poet, and short-story writer.-Life:... : "Each in His Generation” in Scribner's Magazine Scribner's Magazine Scribner's Magazine was an American periodical published by the publishing house of Charles Scribner's Sons from January 1887 to May 1939. Scribner's Magazine was the second magazine out of the "Scribner's" firm, after the publication of Scribner's Monthly... , July 1920 |
| 1919 |
Margaret Prescott Montague Margaret Prescott Montague was an American short story writer, and novelist.Her work appeared in Harper's,... : "England to America” in The Atlantic Monthly, September 1918 |
See also
- The Best American Short Stories
- The Best American Short Stories 1996The Best American Short Stories 1996The Best American Short Stories 1996, a volume in The Best American Short Stories series, was edited by Katrina Kennison and by guest editor John Edgar Wideman.-Short stories included:...
- The Best American Short Stories 1998The Best American Short Stories 1998The Best American Short Stories 1998, a volume in The Best American Short Stories series, was edited by Katrina Kennison and by guest editor Garrison Keillor.-Short stories included:-Other notable stories:...
- The Best American Short Stories 1999The Best American Short Stories 1999The Best American Short Stories 1999, a volume in The Best American Short Stories series, was edited by Katrina Kennison and by guest editor Amy Tan.-Short stories included:...
- The Best American Short Stories 2002The Best American Short Stories 2002The Best American Short Stories 2002, a volume in The Best American Short Stories series, was edited by Katrina Kennison and by guest editor Sue Miller.-Short stories included:-Other notable stories:...
- The Best American Short Stories 2003The Best American Short Stories 2003The Best American Short Stories 2003, a volume in The Best American Short Stories series, was edited by Katrina Kennison and by guest editor Walter Mosley.-Short stories included:-Other notable stories:...
- The Best American Short Stories 2004The Best American Short Stories 2004The Best American Short Stories 2004, a volume in The Best American Short Stories series, was edited by Katrina Kennison and by guest editor Lorrie Moore.-Short Stories included:-Other notable stories:...
- The Best American Short Stories 2005The Best American Short Stories 2005The Best American Short Stories 2005, a volume in The Best American Short Stories series, was edited by Katrina Kennison and by guest editor Michael Chabon.-Short Stories included:-Other notable stories:...
- The Best American Short Stories 2006The Best American Short Stories 2006The Best American Short Stories 2006, a volume in The Best American Short Stories series, was edited by Katrina Kenison and by guest editor Ann Patchett. This edition is notable in that it was the last edition edited by Katrina Kenison, who was succeeded by Heidi Pitlor the following year...
- The Best American Short Stories 2007The Best American Short Stories 2007The Best American Short Stories 2007, a volume in The Best American Short Stories series, was edited by Heidi Pitlor and by guest editor Stephen King.-Short Stories included:-Other notable stories:...
- The Best American Short Stories 2008The Best American Short Stories 2008The Best American Short Stories 2008, a volume in The Best American Short Stories series, was edited by Heidi Pitlor and by guest editor Salman Rushdie.-Short Stories included:-Other notable stories:...
External links
- The O. Henry Prize Stories, official website.
- Complete list of winners 1919–1999