A Roundtable With the PEN America Best Debut Short Stories Judges: Sabrina Orah Mark, Emily Nemens, and Deesha Philyaw
Many of the stories felt written on the edge of an edge of an edge of a world.
On “getting creatively lost”: Robert J. Dau Prize Winner Mathapelo Mofokeng
Learn about Mathapelo Mofokeng’s short story “The Strong-Strong Winds,” which was selected for ‘Best Debut Short Stories 2021.’
“The most innocent thing you can do is want to create”: Robert J. Dau Prize Winner Isaac Hughes Green
Learn about Isaac Hughes Green’s short story “The First Time I Said It,” which was selected for ‘Best Debut Short Stories 2021.’
“The writing process was a bit chaotic”: Robert J. Dau Prize Winner Amy Haejung
Learn about Amy Haejung’s short story “Maria,” which was selected for ‘Best Debut Short Stories 2021.’
A Conversation with ‘Best Debut Short Stories 2021’ Author Nishanth Injam
“We spend too much time thinking about how we are different and not enough time thinking about how we are similar.”
A Conversation with ‘Best Debut Short Stories 2021 Author’ Heather Aruffo
“I think medical terminology can be incredibly beautiful and I love integrating it into my work.”
A Conversation with ‘Best Debut Short Stories 2021’ Author Lindsay Ferguson
“Writing at a slow pace—or along the contours of what life personally looks like for you—is still writing.”
A Conversation with ‘Best Debut Short Stories 2021’ Author Alberto Reyes Morgan
“Every story has a shape, you just have to figure out what it is and then let it be that shape, man.”
A Conversation with ‘Best Debut Short Stories 2021’ Author Khaddafina Mbabazi
“I come from a culture that deifies the established and gatekeeps everything on their behalf. So it makes me glad that there are in fact spaces in the world where professional youth is celebrated.”
A Conversation with ‘Best Debut Short Stories 2021’ Author Qianze Zhang
“Maybe being in a disorganized, overstimulated state of mind helped me evoke the anxiety of being on the internet while undergoing a process of ruthless self-evaluation.”