Here are the twelve finalists for the 2024 Story of the Year award!
JANUARY: Duplicity by Fiona H. Evans
FEBRUARY: Still Life by Paul D’Arcy
MARCH: The Gift a Medical Power of Attorney Bestows Upon You by Sharon Gerger
APRIL: Dishwasher by Alexa Yasmin Ferrer
MAY: Inheritance by Nathan Jones
JUNE: Queue by Tomiko Nanashi
JULY: Paithani Shadows by Shivan Pailwan
AUGUST: Omiage by Meredith
SEPTEMBER: Mycology Reveal by Ellen Townsend
OCTOBER: My Mom by Sarah Flick
NOVEMBER: Staring Awake at the Bottom of the Top Bunk by Liam MacDonald
DECEMBER: Holiday cards, she thinks icily… by Joanna Norland
The winner, as chosen by editor Tim Sevenhuysen, will be announced on Sunday, January 18!
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). The 2022 story of the year was Cherry Blossom by Tim Boiteau. In 2023, Jonathan Kosik won for the second time with Desert Blues in a Minor Key. Nina Evans won in 2024 with My neighbor is the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Such a hard decision! I Picked six favorites out of the dozen: Fiona’s ‘Duplicity’, which tugged heart string; Alexa’s Dishwasher, saying let’s get real; Ellen’s Mycology revealed for its great ending twist; Sarah’s ‘My Mom’ … not mine, but boy, I knew her; and Joanna’s Holiday Card, which made me revisit our mantle.
One vote for queue!
Well Tim I don’t know how you EVER decide, even within one month. They are always so good, each in their own characteristic way, it would be like choosing a favorite flavor or a favorite child.
Reading over the monthly winners again there was one, “Duplicity” by Fiona Evans, that is so original, so beautifully crafted and so touching that it would have to be my favorite flavor or child of the year.
I am honored to have my story included and for the privilege of sharing the space with such talented writers! Good luck to all the finalists!
My vote goes to Liam McDonald’s “Staring Awake at the Bottom of the Top Bunk”. A masterclass in how to convey the feelings of guilt and loss in so few words. Definitely story of the year.
“My Mom” gets my vote.
Also vote for Liam McDonald’s “Staring Awake at the Bottom of the Top Bunk”. This one wrecked me in three sentences. That image of lying awake for three hours, already knowing…brutal!