Join us on December 19th, 2024, for an evening celebrating the winners of the 2024 PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers. Six of the writers, Josie Abugov, Annie Barnett, Jason Baum, Zkara Gaillard, Leanne Ma, and Benjamin Van Voorhis will read selections from their award-winning stories, which have been anthologized in Best Debut Short Stories 2024 (Catapult).
These stories challenge and inspire — ranging from tales of an eccentric billionaire who commissions the embalming of a blue whale to reflections on the challenges of addiction and the long legacy of the Great Migration. Where they range in subject matter, they are unified by themes of childhood, innocence, ignorance, and escape. They expose essential truths, and challenge us to see beyond our comfort zones.
We have the pleasure of being joined by Sindya Bhanoo, one of the 2024 judges, as emcee for the evening. We hope you’ll join us as we celebrate these exciting new voices in fiction.
Free and open to the public with registration! The Zoom link will be provided the day of the event.
About the prize:
Every year, The PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers recognizes 12 emerging writers for their debut short story published in a literary magazine, journal, or cultural website, and aims to support the launch of their careers as fiction writers. The 12 winning stories are selected by a committee of three judges who are well-respected experts in the art of the short story. The winning writers each receive a $2,000 cash prize and are published by Catapult in their annual anthology, Best Debut Short Stories: The PEN America Dau Prize.
The prize is generously supported by the family of the late Robert J. Dau, whose commitment to the literary arts has made him a fitting namesake for this career-launching prize. Inspired by Dau’s hometown in northern Michigan and its proximity to Walloon Lake, where Ernest Hemingway spent much time and derived inspiration from, the prize promotes emerging voices and spotlights the next generation of fiction writers.
