Category Archives: News

News about the site.

2024 Story of the Year Winner

News

The winner of the 2024 Story of the Year, along with the $50 prize and enshrinement in the Hall of Fame, is:

My neighbor is the second coming of Jesus Christ by Nina Evans

As Amanda Le Rougetel pointed out in the comments, this story is “so very open to interpretation,” and that is a large part of its effectiveness. The story’s power is drawn from its understatement; it is a gentle letdown, a form of anticlimax that achieves one my personal favourite literary effects, which is to lead the reader into self-examination: the story cannot be interpreted unless the reader simultaneously interprets themself.

Honourable mentions go to Secret Regret by Matthew Eichenlaub and The Monument by Ron Scully.

2024 Story of the Year Finalists

News

Here are the twelve finalists for the 2024 Story of the Year award!

JANUARY: Emergency Contact by Addison Hammond
FEBRUARY: Out with the Old, In with the New by Carol Tymann
MARCH: The Monument by Ron Scully
APRIL: My neighbor is the second coming of Jesus Christ by Nina Evans
MAY: Dot-to-Dot by Joanna Norland
JUNE: Bracing For Impact by Lesley Warren
JULY: Surprise Ending by Bob Thurber
AUGUST: The Case of Upside-Down Carassius Auratus by Rachel Hapanowicz
SEPTEMBER: Marooned Notebook Entry by Bob Thurber
OCTOBER: Whispers by Angela Carlton
NOVEMBER: Secret Regret by Matthew Eichenlaub
DECEMBER: Lovely Greece by V.A. Wiswell

The winner, as chosen by editor Tim Sevenhuysen, will be announced on Sunday, January 26!

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.

STORY OF THE MONTH: December 2024

News

The Story of the Month is chosen from the Story of the Week winners announced from the past month.

The finalists for December were:

Abduction by Sarah Gane Burton
Spring ’89 by Charlinda Banks
Moving Day by Cheryl Snell
Essential Worker by Robert Ludemann
Lovely Greece by V.A. Wiswell
My Mother Dreams of Christmas Past by Jennifer L. Freed
Punctuation Sale by John Holmes

The winner of the December 2024 Story of the Month, and the $10 prize, is…

Lovely Greece