Boston, MA (July 2016) — In recognition of the legacy of Shirley Jackson’s writing, and with permission of the author’s estate, The Shirley Jackson Awards, Inc. has been established for outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic.

The Shirley Jackson Awards are voted upon by a jury of professional writers, editors, critics, and academics, with input from a Board of Advisors. The awards are given for the best work published in the preceding calendar year in the following categories: Novel, Novella, Novelette, Short Story, Single-Author Collection, and Edited Anthology.

The 2015 Shirley Jackson Awards were presented on Sunday, July 10th at Readercon 27, Conference on Imaginative Literature, in Quincy, Massachusetts. Readercon Guests of Honor,  Catherynne M. Valente and Tim Powers hosted the ceremony.

The winners for the 2015 Shirley Jackson Awards are:

NOVEL

Winner: Experimental Film, Gemma Files (ChiZine Publications)

Finalists

  • Eileen, Ottessa Moshfegh (Penguin Press)
  • The Glittering World, Robert Levy (Gallery)
  • Lord Byron’s Prophecy, Sean Eads (Lethe Press)
  • When We Were Animals, Joshua Gaylord (Mulholland Books)

NOVELLA

Winner: Wylding Hall, Elizabeth Hand (PS Publishing-UK/Open Road Media-US)

Finalists:

  • The Box Jumper, Lisa Mannetti (Smart Rhino)
  • In the Lovecraft Museum, Steve Tem (PS Publishing)
  • Unusual Concentrations, S.J. Spurrier (Simon Spurrier)
  • The Visible Filth, Nathan Ballingrud (This Is Horror)

NOVELETTE

Winner: “Even Clean Hands Can Do Damage,” Steve Duffy (Supernatural Tales #30, Autumn)

Finalists:

  • “The Briskwater Mare,” Deborah Kalin (Cherry Crow Children, Twelfth Planet Press)
  • “The Deepwater Bride,” Tamsyn Muir (Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, July-August 2015)
  • “Fabulous Beasts,” Priya Sharma (Tor.com, July 2015)
  • “The Thyme Fiend,” Jeffrey Ford (Tor.com, March 2015)

SHORT FICTION

Winner: “The Dying Season,” Lynda E. Rucker (Aickman’s Heirs)

Finalists:

  • “A Beautiful Memory,” Shannon Peavey (Apex Magazine)
  • “Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers,” Alyssa Wong (Nightmare)
  • “Seven Minutes in Heaven,” Nadia Bulkin (Aickman’s Heirs)
  • “Wilderness,” Letitia Trent (Exigencies)

SINGLE-AUTHOR COLLECTION

Winner: The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, Stephen King (Scribner)

Finalists:

  • The End of the End of Everything, Dale Bailey (Arche Press)
  • Get in Trouble, Kelly Link (Random House)
  • Gutshot, Amelia Gray (FSG Originals)
  • The Nameless Dark – A Collection, T.E. Grau (Lethe Press)
  • You Have Never Been Here, Mary Rickert (Small Beer Press)

EDITED ANTHOLOGY

Winner: Aickman’s Heirs, edited by Simon Strantzas (Undertow Publications)

Finalists:

  • Black Wings IV, edited by S.T. Joshi (PS Publishing)
  • The Doll Collection, edited by Ellen Datlow (Tor)
  • Exigencies, edited by Richard Thomas (Dark House Press)
  • Seize the Night, edited by Christopher Golden (Gallery)

Shirley Jackson (1916-1965) wrote such classic novels as The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle, as well as one of the most famous short stories in the English language, “The Lottery.” Her work continues to be a major influence on writers of every kind of fiction, from the most traditional genre offerings to the most innovative literary work.

Congratulations to all the winners.