Submissions for the 2026 Drue Heinz Literature Prize are now open! Details and submission guidelines can be found here. The deadline for submission is June 30th. The Drue Heinz Literature Prize recognizes and supports writers of short fiction and makes their work available to readers around the world. • Manuscripts are judged anonymously by nationally known writers. Past judges have included Angie Cruz, Alexander Chee, Deesha Philyaw, Min Jin Lee, Margaret Atwood, Russel, Rick Moody, and Joan Didion. • Winners receive a cash prize of $15,000, publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press, and support in the nation-wide promotion of…

Pittsburgh, PA — Bill Gaythwaite of Union, NJ, is the winner of the 2025 Drue Heinz Literature Prize, one of the nation’s most prestigious prizes for a collection of short stories. Gaythwaite’s collection, A Place in the World, was selected by Manuel Muñoz. A Place in the World will be published on October 7, 2025. “These are captivating stories that reveal how intertwined we really are with our past selves,” shares Manuel Muñoz, author of What You See in the Dark and The Consequences. “A fantastic collection about facing up to the ghosts of our mistakes and our fears, and…

Mubanga Kalimamukwento of Mounds View, MN is the winner of the 2024 Drue Heinz Literature Prize, one of the nation’s most prestigious prizes for a collection of short stories. Kalimamukwento’s collection, Obligations to the Wounded, was selected by Angie Cruz. The University of Pittsburgh Press is pleased to publish this collection on October 8, 2024. “These thematically linked stories deliver an intricate study of Zambian women living in both Zambia and abroad who are weighing their options of who to love, where to live, where to work,” states Angie Cruz, author of How Not to Drown in a Glass of…

Kelly Sather of Larkspur, CA is the 2023 winner of the Drue Heinz Literature Prize, one of the nation’s most prestigious awards for a collection of short stories. Sather’s debut book, Small in Real Life, was selected by author Deesha Philyaw. The University of Pittsburgh Press will publish Small in Real Life this fall (on-sale date: October 3, 2023). “This compact but mighty collection explores both the heights and depths of the unsavory business of being human,” says Philyaw, National Book Award finalist and author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies. “With exquisite, emotionally rich prose, every single story…

Today for University Press Week, we’re interviewing Ramona Reeves, whose debut story collection, It Falls Gently All Around and Other Stories, won the Drue Heinz Prize for Literature. Below she talks about being a first-time author with a university press. Q: Tell us a bit about your background and how you became a writer A: I’ve been writing since I was eight or nine. Until I was twelve, I grew up with my mom, grandmother, and great-grandmother. I also was the only child in my house and grew up around a lot of adults. In that environment, I frequently needed…