31 January 2014 - Booktrust
Elizabeth Strout and Adam Johnson (Pulitzer Prize winners) and M J Hyland (Man Booker shortlistee) contend with three 2013 Granta Best of Young Novelists (Tahmima Anam, Jenni Fagan and Taiye Selasi) and other debut novelists such as Alissa Nutting and Marjorie Celona in the most wide-ranging longlist yet.
In a truly international list, the stories span four continents, from small-town Idaho to contemporary China, where Anna Metcalfe and Jonathan Tel explore that country's economic boom from a different perspective; from the Welsh valleys to Dubai, where Tahmima Anam evokes the voice of a Bangladeshi migrant worker. Other themes include sexuality, self-image and self-harm, violence, death - and, in Jenni Fagan's story, the hereafter.
No woman writer has yet won the prestigious prize, which is now in its fifth year, but ten women have made the 2014 longlist of 16, which was drawn from nearly 650 entries to the competition.
The 2014 award may also see another first. No home-grown writer has yet picked up the prize, but half of the 2014 longlist come from Britain.
Check out the complete Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award longlist.
The winner will receive £30,000, and the five other shortlisted writers will each receive £1,000. The shortlist will be announced on 2 March; the winner will be announced at a gala dinner at Stationer's Hall in London on Friday 4 April.
Short story fans can savour all six shortlisted stories at two special events at Foyles, Charing Cross Road on Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 April - produced in conjunction with WordTheatre - each featuring readings by a stellar line-up of acting talent, to be announced soon. They will also be able to read the stories in a specially produced ebook, published on 2 March, and vote online at The Sunday Times website for their favourite piece
who are you rooting for, Graham? all the best, Ruth
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