The World Fantasy Convention announced the winners of its annual World Fantasy Awards, with Alaya Dawn Johnson and Tochi Onyebuchi among the authors taking home the prestigious literary prizes.
Johnson won the novel award for Trouble the Saints, about an African American woman named Phyllis who works as an enforcer for a Russian crime boss in World War II–era New York. In a starred review, a critic for Kirkus called Johnson’s novel “a sad, lovely, and blood-soaked song of a book.”
The novella prize went to Tochi Onyebuchi for Riot Baby, which follows a wrongfully imprisoned Black man and his sister, who was born with mysterious, magical powers. The novella has drawn significant literary prize attention, appearing on the shortlists for the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Awards.
Celeste Rita Baker won the short story award for “Glass Bottle Dancer,” while editors Ann and Jeff VanderMeer took home the anthology prize for The Big Book of Modern Fantasy.
The collection prize went to Where the Wild Ladies Are, written by Aoko Matsuda and translated by Polly Barton.
The World Fantasy Awards were established in 1975. Past winners have included Peter Straub for Koko, Louise Erdrich for The Antelope Wife, and Nnedi Okorafor for Who Fears Death.
A full list of this year’s winners is available at the World Fantasy Convention website.
Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
