George Saunders Wins The Story Prize for Tenth of December

Posted on March 9, 2014

George Saunders has won The Story Prize for 2013 for his short story collection, Tenth of December. Saunders won the top prize of $20,000 as well as the winner's bowl. Saunders is pictured holding the winner's bowl here. The two runners-up, Andrea Barrett for Archangel and Rebecca Lee for Bobcat, each received $5,000.

This year's judges were Stephen Ennis, Director of the Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin, author Antonya Nelson and Rob Spillman, editor of the literary magazine Tin House. Here is what the judges had to say about Tenth of December:

"This is a masterful short story collection. Full of formal innovations whose purpose is to illuminate character in new ways, these stories reveal the darkest parts of humanity while simultaneously giving us light and hope. They read like an indictment of our current condition but also as a timeless reflection on morality in a frequently unmoral world. The shifts in tone and point of view, sometimes within the same story, are dazzling. Craft, vision, and heart come together in an alchemical reaction creating a work of art that is much greater than the sum of its parts. At turns beautiful and heartbreaking, Tenth of December is destined to be a work of art that defines our times."

The Story Prize was established in 2004 by Julie Lindsey. It is underwritten by the Chisholm Foundation. You can learn more about the annual prize at thestoryprize.org.



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