Best Debut Short Stories 2026

The essential annual guide to the newest voices in literature, selected by Juliet Escoria, Abby Geni, and Chris Stuck

Best Debut Short Stories celebrates the most promising short story writers today. Selected by a panel of distinguished judges, these twelve stories are the 2026 winners of the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers, which recognizes outstanding debuts published in literary magazines.