The Story Prize

What it lacks in history, it makes up for with rapidly growing prestige and financial might. Having only awarded its first winner in 2004, the Story Prize has quickly garnered a solid reputation in the literary world. The $20,000 prize—awarded annually to a short story collection—is the richest award in America for a single book. Other literary awards relish the pomp and circumstance of the awards ceremony. The Story Prize takes another—and refreshingly welcomed—approach. The finalists share the stage, reading stories, and discussing their work from sofas, and await the announcement. This intimate arrangement dovetails nicely with the unique experience of reading a short story. The 2008 winner was awarded March 4, 2009. The winner is Tobias Wolff’s Our Story Begins.

2008 winner
Our Story Begins (Tobias Wolff)

2008 finalists
Unaccustomed Earth (Jhumpa Lahiri)
Demons in the Spring (Joe Meno)

Past winners
2007: Like You’d Understand, Anyway (Jim Shepard)
2006: The Stories of Mary Gordon (Mary Gordon)
2005: The Hill Road (Patrick O’Keeffe)
2004: The Dew Breaker (Edwidge Danticat)