I am writing to thank you for participating in our 2023 Short Story Prize competition. It was an honor to read your work! We received many excellent entries but could only choose five finalists. They can be read in the August issue of Gemini. Here are the results:

Finalists

First Prize: "Conflagration" by Teresa Burns Gunther
Second Prize: "Sign of the Times: Lawton, Alabama 1943" by Arnold Edwards 
Honorable Mention: "The Neighbor" by Lauren Oertel
Honorable Mention: "Beets" by Halley Fehner
Honorable Mention: "Side by Side" by Darin M. Bush

In addition, we wish to recognize several Notable Stories. Though not published in our current issue, these stories definitely caught our attention.

Notable Stories

“The Healer” Marlon Jackson
“Old Fool” Sallie Bingham
“Above” Fiona Thackeray
“Upriver” Bradley Radovich
“The Invisible Woman” Sharon Miles
“NewMa” Belinda Wright
“Flowers” Helen Vidrine
“The New Boy” Nancy E. Quinn
“Lifeblood” Mike Kanner
“Gratitude, Shmatitude” P.G. Smith