O. Henry Award

The O. Henry Award is an annual American award given to short stories of exceptional merit. The award is named after the American short-story writer O. Henry.

The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories is an annual collection of the year's twenty best stories published in U.S. and Canadian magazines. Along with The Best American Short Stories, the O. Henry Prize Stories is one of the two "best-known annual anthologies of short fiction."<ref>"Short and Sweet" by Mark Harris, Entertainment Weekly, 11/05/99, issue 511, page 73.</ref>

Until 2002 there were first, second, and third prize winners and from 2003 to 2019 there were three jurors who each selected a short story of special interest or merit; the collection is called The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories, and the original collection was called Prize Stories 1919: The O. Henry Memorial Awards.

History and format

The award was first presented in 1919 and funded by the Society of Arts and Sciences.<ref name="Bold Type: O. Henry Award FAQ">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="20thcenturyauthor">Template:Cite book</ref>

Template:Asof the guest editor chooses twenty short stories, each an O. Henry Prize story. All stories published in an American or Canadian periodical are eligible for consideration, including stories that have been translated into English. The goal of The O. Henry Prize Stories remains to strengthen the art of the short story.

The current series editor for The O. Henry Prize Stories is Jenny Minton Quigley. Past series editors have been: Blanche Colton Williams (1919–32), Harry Hansen (1933–40), Herschel Brickell (1941–51), Paul Engle (1954–59), Mary Stegner (1960), Richard Poirier (1961–66, assisted by William Abrahams, 1964–66), William Abrahams (1967–96), Larry Dark (1997–2002) and Laura Furman (2003–2019). There were no volumes of the series in 1952 and 1953 (due to Herschel Brickell's death), 2004 and 2020.<ref name="Bold Type: O. Henry Award FAQ"/>

Partnership with PEN American Center

In 2009 The O. Henry Prize Stories publisher, Anchor Books, renamed the series in partnership with the PEN American Center (today PEN America), producing the first PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories collection. Proceeds from the PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories 2009 would be directed to PEN's Readers & Writers Program, which sends well-known authors to under served inner-city schools.

The selection included stories by Graham Joyce, John Burnside, Roger Nash, Manuel Muñoz, Ha Jin, Paul Theroux, Judy Troy, Nadine Gordimer, Marisa Silver, Paul Yoon, Andrew Sean Greer, and Junot Díaz, with A. S. Byatt, Tim O'Brien and Anthony Doerr – all authors of past O. Henry Prize Stories – serving as the prize jury.<ref>Itzkoff, Dave. "O. Henry Prize, PEN Announce Partnership" Template:Webarchive, "The New York Times Arts Beat", 2009-04-07.</ref>

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

First-prize winners (1919–2002)

O. Henry Award winners<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>

Year	Author	Title	Publication	Ref.
1919	Template:Sortname	England to America	Template:Sortname, September 1918
1920	Template:Sortname	Each in His Generation	Scribner's Magazine, July 1920
1921	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Everybody's Magazine, January 1921
1922	Template:Sortname	Snake Doctor	Cosmopolitan, November 1922
1923	Template:Sortname	Prelude	Harper's Magazine, May 1923
1924	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	McCall's, June 1924
1925	Template:Sortname	Mr. Bisbee's Princess	Redbook, May 1925
1926	Template:Sortname	Bubbles	Harper's Magazine
1927	Template:Sortname	Child of God	Harper's Magazine, April 1927
1928	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Redbook, March 1928
1929	Template:Sortname	Big Blonde	Bookman Magazine, February 1929
1930	Template:Sortname	Dressing-Up	Harper's Magazine, November 1929	<ref name=":1">Template:Cite news</ref>
	Template:Sortname	Neither Jew nor Greek	Template:Sortname, August 1929	<ref name=":1" />
1931	Template:Sortname	Can't Cross Jordan by Myself	Pictorial Review
1932	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Pictorial Review, February 1932
1933	Template:Sortname	Gal Young Un	Harper's Magazine, June-July 1932
1934	Template:Sortname	No More Trouble for Jedwick	Esquire
1935	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Harper's Magazine
1936	Template:Sortname	Total Stranger	Template:Sortname, February 15, 1936
1937	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname
1938	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Harper's Magazine
1939	Template:Sortname	Barn Burning	Harper's Magazine
1940	Template:Sortname	Freedom's a Hard-Bought Thing	Template:Sortname
1941	Template:Sortname	Defeat	Template:Sortname
1942	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Harper's Magazine
1943	Template:Sortname	Livvie is Back	Template:Sortname
1944	Template:Sortname	Walking Wounded	Template:Sortname
1945	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname
1946	Template:Sortname	Bird Song	Template:Sortname
1947	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Harper's Magazine
1948	Template:Sortname	Shut a Final Door	Template:Sortname
1949	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname
1950	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Harper's Magazine
1951	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Epoch
1952	No edition
1953	No edition
1954	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname
1955	Template:Sortname	In the Zoo	Template:Sortname
1956	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname
1957	Template:Sortname	Greenleaf	Template:Sortname
1958	Template:Sortname	In Sickness as in Health	Template:Sortname
1959	Template:Sortname	Venus, Cupid, Folly and Time	Template:Sortname
1960	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname, Winter 1958–59
1961	Template:Sortname	Tell Me a Riddle	New World Writing
1962	Template:Sortname	Holiday	Template:Sortname, December 1960
1963	Template:Sortname	Everything That Rises Must Converge	New World Writing
1964	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname, November 3, 1962
1965	Template:Sortname	Revelation	Template:Sortname, Spring 1964
1966	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname, March 13, 1965	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1967	Template:Sortname	In the Region of Ice	Template:Sortname, August 1966
1968	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname, November 26, 1966
1969	Template:Sortname	Man in the Drawer	Template:Sortname, April 1968
1970	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname, January 11, 1969
1971	Template:Sortname	Twin Bed Bridge	Template:Sortname, May 1970
1972	Template:Sortname	Strange-Dreaming Charlie, Cow-Eyed Charlie	Template:Sortname, March 20, 1971
1973	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	McCall's, July 1971
1974	Template:Sortname	Brownstone	Template:Sortname, January 27, 1973
1975	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname, September 17, 1973
	Template:Sortname	Usurpation (Other People's Stories)	Esquire, May 1974
1976	Template:Sortname	His Son in His Arms, in Light, Aloft	Esquire, August 1975
1977	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname, July 26, 1976
	Template:Sortname	Last Courtesies	Harper's Magazine, July 1976
1978	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname, May 2, 1977
1979	Template:Sortname	Getting Serious	Template:Sortname, Fall 1977
1980	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname, September 25, 1978
1981	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname, May 26, 1980
1982	Template:Sortname	Facing Front	Epoch, Winter 1980
1983	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Ploughshares
1984	Template:Sortname	Rosa	Template:Sortname, March 21, 1983
1985	Template:Sortname	Hot Ice	Antaeus
	Template:Sortname	Lily	Template:Sortname
1986	Template:Sortname	Kindred Spirits	Esquire, August 1985	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1987	Template:Sortname	Fleur	Esquire, August 1986
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Harper's Magazine, July 1986
1988	Template:Sortname	Errand	Template:Sortname, June 1, 1987
1989	Template:Sortname	Peacocks	Template:Sortname, Winter 1988
1990	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	TriQuarterly, Winter 1989
1991	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname, June 11, 1990
1992	Template:Sortname	Puttermesser Paired	Template:Sortname, October 8, 1990
1993	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname, December 2, 1991
1994	Template:Sortname	Better Be Ready 'Bout Half Past Eight	Template:Sortname, January 1993
1995	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	New England Review, Spring 1994
1996	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname, October 31, 1994
1997	Template:Sortname	City Life	Ploughshares
1998	Template:Sortname	People Like That Are the Only People Here	Template:Sortname, January 27, 1997
1999	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname
2000	Template:Sortname	Weight	Template:Sortname
2001	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname
2002	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	McSweeney's

Juror favorites (2003–2019)

O. Henry Award Juror Favorites<ref name=":0" />

Year	Author	Title	Publication	Ref.
2003	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname, June 3, 2002
	Template:Sortname	Train Dreams	Template:Sortname, Summer 2002
2004	No award
2005	Template:Sortname	What You Pawn I Will Redeem	Template:Sortname, April 21, 2003
	Template:Sortname	Refuge in London	Zoetrope: All-Story, Winter 2003
	Template:Sortname	Mudlavia	Template:Sortname, September 2003
2006	Template:Sortname	Window	Tin House, Spring 2004
	Template:Sortname	Old Boys, Old Girls	Template:Sortname, May 3, 2004
	Template:Sortname	Passion	Template:Sortname, March 22, 2004	<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref>
2007	Template:Sortname	Galveston Bay, 1826	Manoa, Winter 2004
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname, May 16, 2005
2008	Template:Sortname	What Do You Want To Know For?	Template:Sortname
	Template:Sortname	Folie a Deux	Template:Sortname
	Template:Sortname	Touch	Tin House
2009	Template:Sortname	Wildwood	Template:Sortname
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname
2010	Template:Sortname	Oh, Death	Template:Sortname, Spring 2009
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname, September 15, 2008
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname, December 15, 2008
2011	Template:Sortname	Sunshine	Narrative Magazine
	Template:Sortname	Something You Can't Live Without	Oxford American
	Template:Sortname	Your Fate Hurtles Down at You	Electric Literature
2012	Template:Sortname	Kindness	Template:Sortname
	Template:Sortname	Corrie	Template:Sortname	<ref name=":2" />
2013	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Tin House
	Template:Sortname	Your Duck Is My Duck	Fence
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Tin House
2014	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Granta
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Tin House
	Template:Sortname	Opa-locka	Template:Sortname
2015	Template:Sortname	Birdsong from the Radio	Zoetrope: All-Story
	Template:Sortname	Cabins	Subtropics
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname
2016	Template:Sortname	Irises	Template:Sortname
	Template:Sortname	Train to Harbin	Template:Sortname
	Template:Sortname	Winter, 1965	BOMB
2017	Template:Sortname	Too Good to Be True	Harper's
	Template:Sortname	Secret Lives of the Detainees	Template:Sortname
	Template:Sortname	Buttony	Template:Sortname
2018	Template:Sortname	Template:Sortname	Tin House
	Template:Sortname	Counterblast	Template:Sortname
2019	Template:Sortname	Funny Little Snake	Template:Sortname
	Template:Sortname	Girl of Few Seasons	Ploughshares Solos
	Template:Sortname	Omakase	Template:Sortname	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Guest editor (2021–present)

O. Henry Award guest editors<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Year	Editor	Ref.
2021	Template:Sortname
2022	Template:Sortname	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2023	Template:Sortname
2024	Template:Sortname
2025	Template:Sortname

See also

• The Best American Short Stories

External links

• Template:Official website
• O. Henry Prize, PEN Announce Partnership
• 2009 PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories
• Three-time winners
• Past winners (by author, 1919–2017) at Random House (via Archive.org)
• Past winners (by date, 1919–1999) at Random House's Bold Type (via Archive.org)
• Compilations by year