Julia Elliott wins 2026 Carol Shields Prize

Julia Elliott won the 2026 Carol Shields Prize for Fiction on June 2 for her short-story collection “Hellions,” adding one of North America’s richest literary awards to a book already praised for its gothic, surreal and folkloric range. The annual prize honors fiction by women and non-binary writers in the United States and Canada. The award carries $150,000, and the winner also receives a five-night stay at Fogo Island Inn, according to the prize organizers. NPR reported that Elliott is known for fiction that blends Southern gothic, horror and fairy-tale elements. ### Which book won, and what did judges single out? “Hellions,” published by Tin House in April 2025, is a story collection rather than a novel, and that matters because the prize is open to fiction broadly, not only novels. The official winner page said Elliott’s book was selected from a five-title shortlist for the 2026 award. (carolshieldsprizeforfiction.com) Jurors described the collection as an “eerie, eclectic, genre-leaping” work that takes “no half-measures,” according to the prize citation. The same citation said “every sentence of HELLIONS crackles or crawls,” framing the book as one driven as much by voice and atmosphere as by plot. ### What is in “Hellions”? NPR member-station copies and other reports said “Hellions” includes stories featuring figures such as a medieval nun, an “Exorcist”-obsessed girl from rural South Carolina and a college-aged sorceress. (carolshieldsprizeforfiction.com) Canadian Press coverage described stories about a teen discovering her power, a young woman confronting a shape-shifting older professor and a nun working on a forbidden manuscript. (carolshieldsprizeforfiction.com) Julia Elliott’s broader body of work includes the novel “The New and Improved Romie Futch” and the earlier story collection “The Wilds.” NPR said her fiction is known for blending Southern gothic horror, surrealism and fairy tale, a description that aligns with how prize jurors and other coverage characterized “Hellions.” (kacu.org) ### How big is the Carol Shields Prize? The Carol Shields Prize is positioned as a major cross-border fiction award for women and non-binary writers with books published in Canada and the United States. The official site and multiple reports put the top award at $150,000, with the remaining finalists each receiving $12,500. The 2026 shortlist named Quiara Alegría Hudes, Lee Lai, Megha Majumdar and Sonya Walger alongside Elliott. (nprillinois.org) The prize’s chief executive, Alexandra Skoczylas, said in the shortlist announcement that the organization was committed to giving women and non-binary writers broader recognition and support. ### Where was the winner announced? (carolshieldsprizeforfiction.com) Reports differed on the event location, with the official winner page saying the announcement was made at a live event in Chicago while Literary Hub described the ceremony as taking place in Toronto. Both accounts agree the prize was announced on June 2 and that Elliott was the 2026 winner. That discrepancy leaves the core facts intact: Elliott won for “Hellions,” the prize money is $150,000, and the award is dedicated to fiction by women and non-binary writers in the United States and Canada. (carolshieldsprizeforfiction.com) Those details appear consistently across the official prize site, NPR-linked reports and Canadian coverage. ### What comes next for this year’s field? (carolshieldsprizeforfiction.com) The 2026 shortlist page remains the main place to find the full finalist field and jury materials, including the citation for “Hellions.” The four other finalists — Quiara Alegría Hudes, Lee Lai, Megha Majumdar and Sonya Walger — each receive $12,500 under the prize rules published this cycle. (carolshieldsprizeforfiction.com 1) (carolshieldsprizeforfiction.com 2)