Here are the twelve finalists for the 2022 Story of the Year award!
JANUARY: Cherry Blossom by Tim Boiteau
FEBRUARY: A Child Overhears by Larina Warnock
MARCH: After the Flood by August Van Stralen
APRIL: My Suitcases by Roya Nouraei
MAY: Bookworm by Stephen Gallagher
JUNE: The Green Goddess by Rosie Douglas
JULY: Poor Devilish Me by Bob Thurber
AUGUST: The Enormity of Small Things by Jennifer L. Freed
SEPTEMBER: After the Forest Caught Fire by J.S.P. Jacobs
OCTOBER: What Dew Felt Like by Sarah Grace Tuttle
NOVEMBER: Nostalgia for a Small-Town Park by J.A. August
DECEMBER: The Dying of the Sun by Swapna Sanchita
The winner, as chosen by editor Tim Sevenhuysen, will be announced on Sunday, January 29!
The prize for the Story of the Year winner is:
- $50 (Canadian)
- Enshrinement in the 50WS Hall of Fame
Let everyone know your favourite story in the comments!
Throwback: In 2014, Bob Thurber won the Story of the Year award with his piece The Mapmaker’s Calligraphist Daughter. In 2015, Guy Preston took the prize with One Job Away From Retirement. The 2016 winner was Jennifer L. Freed, for Aunt Peg. In 2017, Constellations by Jonathan Kosik won the award. In 2018, Bob Thurber won his second Story of the Year award for The Summer of Sweet Mary (circa 1972). In 2019, Evan McMurry won the Story of the Year for After the Water. The 2020 story of the year was Your Pills by Jennifer L. Freed, for her second win. For 2021, N. West Moss won Story of the Year for A man (not her husband).
Such an amazing group of stories, but if I had to pick one, it’s Cherry Blossom — a year later, and it still haunts me.
Love the variety of stories. So fun. After the Forest Caught Fire was my favorite.
Great collection of writers
After the Forest caught fire is my fave
Beautiful stories. My Suitcases is definitely my favourite!
Loved getting to read all of these. After The Forest Caught Fire was my favorite!
My favourite is “My Suitcases” by Roya Nouraei. It’s a relatable and touching story.
Great stories, but After the Forest Caught Fire has to be the winner, right? It gets you right in the feels
After the Forest Caught Fire was my favorite.
Loved reading these. After the Forest Caught Fire was especially good.
Beautiful stories. My Suitcases by Roya Nouraei is my favourite ❤
Such a great group of stories. Hard to pick just one, but I’d have to choose “A Child Overhears.”
All great stories, my favorite one is: My Suitcases by Roya is my favorite 😍
After the Forest Caught Fire is FIRE and gets my nod.
APRIL: My Suitcases by Roya Nouraei
This story was my favourite, I strongly identified with the subject of the story❤️
Thanks.
My Suitcases by Roya Nouraei is my favorite 👏👏❤️
All of them are amazing and my suitcases is my favourite.
Great stories, I was really moved by “my suitcases”. Roya has written the story very Beautifully. I really like “my suitcases”.
“My Suitcase” by Roya Nouraei is my favourite
My favourite story is “my suitcase” by Roya.
My Favourite is “suitcase” written by Roya Nouraei. Her writing style is so unique and captivating
My Suitcase by Roya Nouraei is my favourite 😍
“My suitcase” is the best of written by Roya Nouraei
Roya Nouraei has written an amazing story
“My suitcase” is my favourite
My Suitcase written by Roya Nouraei is my favourite
Roya Nouraei’s “My Suitcases” is just so special, has to be hers.
“My suitcase”🧳 by Roya
“My suitecase “ written by Roya Nouraei is the best one
“My Suitcase” written by Roya Nouraei is my favorite
I really liked After the Forest Caught Fire by J.S.P. Jacobs. I loved the easy transition from reality to, well, the new reality, and the irony makes it chef’s kiss
All of them are wonderful, but my favourite is My Suitcases by Roya Nouraei.
I really feel moved by Roya Nouraei’s “My Suitcases”. It’s definitely my favourite.
What a collection, what emotions and feelings and thoughts these evoke! What difficult choices, to select only one…
….it would be, After the Forest Caught Fire
I liked “After the Forest Caught Fire” the best!
Every one is marvelous, but “After the Forest Caught Fire” mKes me dream memories of green. Loved it.
I enjoy “My suitecase” by Roya very much!
A beautiful collection of snapshots from life, each paints a different scene in just a few words.
“My Suitcases” by Roya Nouraei had a more lasting impact, definitely my favourite!
Roya Nouraei’s “My Suitcases” is just magnificent. She captured a feeling commonly felt by all immigrants in a very powerful manner with just a few sentences. Truly well done.