Many thanks to all who entered the 2022 Short Fiction Competition. We appreciate the opportunity to read such bright and brilliant new work.

From nearly 1,800 submissions, guest judge and 2019 PEN/Hemingway Award finalist Ling Ma honored the following stories.

First Prize:
“Egg” by Emily Crossen (El Cerrito, CA)
This story offers what I hope to find in fiction—new pathways for my brain to move. I was so intrigued by the worldview and perspective of the author. —Ling Ma

Second Prize:
“Chicken. Film. Youth.” by Cleo Qian (Brooklyn, NY)
I had so much fun reading this, and could not quite predict where it was going. When Mr. Kang’s life story entered the scene, I was as swept up as the other characters. —LM

Third Prize:
“Baghdad, Florida” by Robert Yune (Buckhannon, WV)
The details of veteran life are so precise and nuanced that they carry the imprint of lived experience, and showed me a new mentality. —LM

Honorable Mentions:
“The Tayyare Apartments” by Lauren Alwan (San Leandro, CA)
“The Jewel Thief” by JP Gritton (Durham, NC)
“That's Beautiful, Isn't It?” by Allison Keeley (Bacalar, Mexico)
“Giant Pink Flamingo Great for Pool Float” by Laura Lynes (London, England)
“The Hedgebergers” by Mark Mayer (Memphis, TN)
“Outside Voices” by Sarah Harris Wallman (New Haven, CT)
“The Child Is a Mother, Too” by Mary Wang (New York, NY)

First prize is $1,000; second prize, $500; and third prize, $250. The prizewinners and honorable mentions will be considered for representation by William Morris Endeavor; ICM; the Wylie Agency; Janklow & Nesbit; Regal Literary; Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency; Markson Thoma Literary Agency; Inkwell Management; Sterling Lord Literistic; Aitken Alexander Associates; Barer Literary; the Gernert Company; and the Georges Borchardt Literary Agency.

The winning story, “Egg” by Emily Crossen, has been published as a special online supplement to the Winter 2022/2023 edition.

The 2023 Short Fiction Competition opens July 1; for details, please visit the website this summer. And should you wish to receive updates by email, please write us at [email protected].

Thanks once more, and all good wishes for your work,
The editors