The O. Henry Prize Stories 2015 gathers twenty of the best short stories of the year, selected from thousands published in literary magazines. The winning stories span the globe—from the glamorous Riviera to an Eastern European shtetl, from a Native American reservation to a tiny village in Thailand. But their characters are universally recognizable and utterly compelling, whether they are ex-pats in Africa, migrant workers crossing the Mexican border, Armenian immigrants on the rough streets of East Hollywood, or pioneers in nineteenth-century Idaho. Accompanying the stories are the editor’s introduction, essays from the eminent jurors on their favorite stories, observations from the winning writers on what inspired them, and an extensive resource list of magazines.
 
Finding Billy White Feather
PERCIVAL EVERETT
 
The Seals
LYDIA DAVIS
 
Kilifi Creek
LIONEL SHRIVER
 
The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA
MANUEL MUÑOZ
 
A Permanent Member of the Family
RUSSELL BANKS
 
A Ride out of Phrao
DINA NAYERI
 
Owl
EMILY RUSKOVICH
           
The Upside-Down World
BECKY HAGENSTON
 
The Way Things Are Going
LYNN FREED
 
The History of Happiness
BRENDA PEYNADO
 
The Kingsley Drive Chorus
NAIRA KUZMICH
 
Word of Mouth
EMMA TÖRZS
 
Cabins
CHRISTOPHER MERKNER
 
My Grandmother Tells Me This Story
MOLLY ANTOPOL
 
The Golden Rule
LYNNE SHARON SCHWARTZ
 
About My Aunt
JOAN SILBER
 
Ba Baboon
THOMAS PIERCE
 
Snow Blind
ELIZABETH STROUT
 
I, Buffalo
VAUHINI VARA
 
Birdsong from the Radio
ELIZABETH MCCRACKEN