New Stories from the South 2026

A revival of the iconic anthology of best Southern short stories featuring eminent and emerging voices.This anthology marks the much-anticipated return of the annual story collection, New Stories from the South, gathering outstanding short stories written by Southern writers or about the American South. Stories were nominated by editors of literary journals and magazines, publishers of short story collections, and by prominent Southern writers who served as contributing editors for this volume.The 2026 edition contains an exciting lineup of both well-known Southern writers and talented newcomers: Ron RashDeesha PhilyawMesha MarenEmily NemensAshleigh Bryant PhillipsTony EarleyExodus Oktavia BrownlowA. J. BermudezHeather SwainChelyen DavisJoanna PearsonJody Hobbs HeslerCatherine NioletDean Marshall TuckEmily Harper EllisFarheen RaparthiRandy F. NelsonLisa Wartenberg VélezPritha BhattacharyyaThis year’s volume has an introduction by Appalachian writer Silas House, New York Times bestselling author of seven novels, and the poetry collection All These Ghosts (Blair, 2025) and is edited by Blair’s Editorial Director, Robin Miura, who assumes this mantle from Shannon Ravenel, the Algonquin editor who launched the series and edited the volumes through 2006.In keeping with Blair’s mission, this anthology contains a wide range of voices reflecting the rich diversity of the South. The following talented writers served as contributing editors who helped select stories for this volume: Jason Mott, LaTanya McQueen, Daniel Wallace, Monique Truong, Chantel Acevedo, and Susan Gregg Gilmore.