O. Henry Award

The O. Henry Award is given for especially good short stories. The prize is given each year. The award is named after the American short story author, O. Henry.

The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories is a book that is published each year with that year's twenty best stories from magazines in U.S. and Canada, written in English.

The award itself is called The O. Henry Award,Bold Type: O. Henry Award FAQ not the O. Henry Prize, though until recently there were first, second and third prize winners.

History and format
The award was first given in 1919. Money to support the award comes from the Society of Arts and Sciences.  As of 2003, the series editor chooses twenty short stories and each one is called an O. Henry Prize Story. All stories originally written in English and published in an American or Canadian magazine can possibly win. Three people become jurors each year. The jurors get the twenty prize stories in text form. The author or publication name are not listed. Each juror works alone and chooses one special short story  and comments on it.

The goal of The O. Henry Prize Stories is to improve the art of the short story.  Starting in 2003, The O. Henry Prize Stories is dedicated to a writer who has made a major contribution to the art of the short story. The O. Henry Prize Stories 2007 was dedicated to Sherwood Anderson, a U.S. short-story writer. Jurors for 2007 were Charles D'Ambrosio, Lily Tuck, and Ursula K. Le Guin.

Laura Furman is now the series editor for The O. Henry Prize Stories.

Partnership with PEN American Center

In 2009 Anchor books announced a change in the series tittle. Anchor is the publisher of The O. Henry Prize Stories. They worked with the PEN American Center and renamed the series the PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories collection. Profits from selling The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories 2009 books went to PEN's Readers & Writers Program. This program sends well-known authors to under served inner-city schools. 

In an interview for the Vintage Books and Anchor Books blog, editor Laura Furman called working with PEN a "natural partnership." "Two Literary Lions Merge", "Vintage Books", 2009-04-10.

Juror favorites, first-prize winners
For more information or complete lists of yearly winners, visit The O. Henry Prize Stories website.The O. Henry Prize Stories website

2012Yiyun Li: "Kindness" in A Public Space
Alice Munro: "Corrie" in The New Yorker2011Lynn Freed: "Sunshine"
Matthew Neill Null: "Something You Can't Live Without"
Jim Shepard: "Your Fate Hurtles Down at You"2010Daniyal Mueenuddin: "A Spoiled Man" in The New Yorker September 15, 2008
James Lasdun: "Oh, Death" in The Paris Review as "The Hollow", Spring 2009 #188
William Trevor: "The Woman of the House" in The New Yorker, December 15, 20082009Graham Joyce: "An Ordinary Soldier of the Queen" in The Paris Review
Junot Díaz: "Wildwood" in The New Yorker2008Alexi Zentner: "Touch" in Tin House
Alice Munro: "What Do You Want To Know For?" in The American Scholar
William Trevor: "Folie a Deux" in The New Yorker2007Eddie Chuculate: "Galveston Bay, 1826" in Manoa, Vol 16., No. 2, Winter 2004 
William Trevor: "The Room" in The New Yorker, May 16, 20052006Edward P. Jones: "Old Boys, Old Girls" in The New Yorker, May 3, 2004
Deborah Eisenberg: "Window" in Tin House, Issue 19, Spring 2004
Alice Munro: "Passion" in The New Yorker, March 22, 20042005Ruth Prawer Jhabvala: "Refuge in London" in Zoetrope, Vol. 7, No. 4, Winter 2003
Sherman Alexie: "What You Pawn I Will Redeem" in The New Yorker, April 21, 2003
Elizabeth Stuckey-French: "Mudlavia" in The Atlantic Monthly, Sept. 20032004No edition2003Denis Johnson: "Train Dreams" in The Paris Review, Summer 2002
A. S. Byatt: "The Thing in The Forest" in The New Yorker, June 3, 20022002Kevin Brockmeier: "The Ceiling” in McSweeney's, No. 72001Mary Swan: "The Deep” in The Malahat Review, No. 1312000John Edgar Wideman: "Weight” in The Callaloo Journal, Vol. 22, No. 31999Peter Baida: "A Nurse's Story” in The Gettysburg Review, Vol. 13, No. 31998Lorrie Moore: "People Like That Are the Only People Here” in The New Yorker, January 27, 19971997Mary Gordon: "City Life” in Ploughshares, Vol. 22, No. 11996Stephen King: "The Man in the Black Suit” in The New Yorker, October 31, 19941995Cornelia Nixon: "The Women Come and Go” in New England Review, Spring 19941994Alison Baker: "Better Be Ready 'Bout Half Past Eight” in The Atlantic Monthly, January 19931993Thom Jones: "The Pugilist at Rest” in The New Yorker, December 2, 19911992Cynthia Ozick: "Puttermesser Paired” in The New Yorker, October 8, 19901991John Updike: "A Sandstone Farmhouse” in The New Yorker, June 11, 19901990Leo E. Litwak: "The Eleventh Edition” in TriQuarterly, No. 74, Winter 19891989Ernest J. Finney: "Peacocks” in The Sewanee Review, Winter 19881988Raymond Carver: "Errand” in The New Yorker, June 1, 19871987Louise Erdrich: "Fleur” in Esquire, August 1986
Joyce Johnson: "The Children's Wing” in Harper's Magazine, July 19861986Alice Walker: "Kindred Spirits” in Esquire, August 19851985Stuart Dybek: "Hot Ice” in Antaeus
Jane Smiley: "Lily” in The Atlantic Monthly1984Cynthia Ozick: "Rosa” in The New Yorker, March 21, 1983
Gordon Lish: "For Jeromé—with Love and Kisses" in "The Antioch Review", Summer 1983, 19841983Raymond Carver: "A Small, Good Thing” in Ploughshares, Vol. 8, Nos. 2 & 31982Susan Kenney: "Facing Front” in Epoch, Winter 19801981Cynthia Ozick: "The Shawl” in The New Yorker, May 26, 19801980Saul Bellow: "A Silver Dish” in The New Yorker, September 25, 19781979Gordon Weaver:  "Getting Serious” in The Sewanee Review, Fall 1977
Anne Leaton:  "The Passion of Marco Z" in Transatlantic Review, 55/561978Woody Allen: "The Kugelmass Episode” in The New Yorker, May 2, 19771977Shirley Hazzard: "A Long Story Short” in The New Yorker, July 26, 1976
Ella Leffland: "Last Courtesies” in Harper's Magazine, July 19761976Harold Brodkey: "His Son in His Arms, in Light, Aloft” in Esquire, August 19751975Harold Brodkey: "A Story in an Almost Classical Mode” in The New Yorker, September 17, 1973
Cynthia Ozick: "Usurpation (Other People's Stories)” in Esquire, May 19741974Renata Adler: "Brownstone” in The New Yorker, January 27, 19731973Joyce Carol Oates: "The Dead” in McCall's, July 19711972John Batki: "Strange-Dreaming Charlie, Cow-Eyed Charlie” in The New Yorker, March 20, 19711971Florence M Hecht: "Twin Bed Bridge” in The Atlantic Monthly, May 19701970Robert Hemenway: "The Girl Who Sang with the Beatles” in The New Yorker, January 11, 19691969Bernard Malamud: "Man in the Drawer” in The Atlantic Monthly, April 19681968Eudora Welty: "The Demonstrators” in The New Yorker, November 26, 19661967Joyce Carol Oates: "In the Region of Ice” in The Atlantic Monthly, August 19661966John Updike: "The Bulgarian Poetess” in The New Yorker, March 13, 19651965Flannery O'Connor: "Revelation” in The Sewanee Review, Spring 19641964John Cheever: "The Embarkment for Cythera” in The New Yorker, November 3, 19621963Terry Southern: "The Road Out of Axotle" in "Esquire", August, 1962
Flannery O'Connor: "Everything That Rises Must Converge” in New World Writing1962Katherine Anne Porter: "Holiday” in The Atlantic Monthly, December 19601961Tillie Olsen: "Tell Me a Riddle” in New World Writing, No. 161960Lawrence Sargent Hall: "The Ledge” in The Hudson Review, Winter, 1958–591959Peter Taylor: "Venus, Cupid, Folly and Time” in The Kenyon Review1958Martha Gellhorn: "In Sickness as in Health” in The Atlantic Monthly1957Flannery O'Connor: "Greenleaf” in The Kenyon Review1956John Cheever: "The Country Husband” in The New Yorker1955Jean Stafford: "In the Zoo” in The New Yorker1954Thomas Mabry: "The Indian Feather” in The Sewanee Review1951Harris Downey: "The Hunters” in Epoch1950Wallace Stegner: "The Blue-Winged Teal” in Harper's Magazine1949William Faulkner: "A Courtship” in The Sewanee Review1948Truman Capote: "Shut a Final Door” in The Atlantic Monthly1947John Bell Clayton: "The White Circle” in Harper's Magazine1946John Mayo Goss: "Bird Song” in The Atlantic Monthly1945Walter Van Tilburg Clark: "The Wind and the Snow of Winter” in The Yale Review1944Irwin Shaw: "Walking Wounded” in The New Yorker1943Eudora Welty: "Livvie is Back” in The Atlantic Monthly1942Eudora Welty: "The Wide Net” in Harper's Magazine1941Kay Boyle: "Defeat” in The New Yorker1940Stephen Vincent Benét: "Freedom's a Hard-Bought Thing” in The Saturday Evening Post1939William Faulkner: "Barn Burning” in Harper's Magazine1938Albert Maltz: "The Happiest Man on Earth” in Harper's Magazine1937Stephen Vincent Benét: "The Devil and Daniel Webster” in The Saturday Evening Post1936James Gould Cozzens: "Total Stranger” in The Saturday Evening Post, February 15, 19361935Kay Boyle: "The White Horses of Vienna” in Harper's Magazine1934Louis Paul: "No More Trouble for Jedwick” in Esquire1933Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings: "Gal Young Un” in Harper's Magazine, June & July 19321932Stephen Vincent Benét: "An End to Dreams” in Pictorial Review, February 19321931Wilbur Daniel Steele: "Can't Cross Jordan by Myself” in Pictorial Review1930W. R. Burnett: "Dressing-Up” in Harper's Magazine, November 1929
William H. John: "Neither Jew nor Greek” in Century Magazine, August 19291929Dorothy Parker: "Big Blonde” in Bookman Magazine, February 19291928Walter Duranty: "The Parrot” in Redbook, March 19281927Roark Bradford: "Child of God” in Harper's Magazine, April 19271926Wilbur Daniel Steele: "Bubbles” in Harper's Magazine1925Julian Street: "Mr. Bisbee's Princess” in Redbook, May 19251924Inez Haynes Irwin: "The Spring Flight” in McCall's, June 19241923Edgar Valentine Smith: "Prelude” in Harper's Magazine, May 19231922Irvin S. Cobb: "Snake Doctor” in Cosmopolitan, November 19221921Edison Marshall:  "The Heart of Little Shikara” in Everybody's Magazine, January 19211920Maxwell Struthers Burt: "Each in His Generation” in Scribner's Magazine, July 19201919Margaret Prescott Montague: "England to America” in The Atlantic Monthly, September 1918

References

Other websites
Complete list of winners 1919–1999

Category:Literary awards