PRISM International has announced the winners of the 2026 Jacob Zilber Prize for Short Fiction.
Selected by judge Molly Cross-Blanchard, this year’s Jacob Zilber Prize for Short Fiction was awarded to Habiba Dokubo-Asari (H.B. Asari) for ‘Bodies of Water.’
Matt Hawkins was named runner-up for ‘Trespasses,’ while Cletus Okoro (Chimezie Okoro) earned second runner-up for ‘Schoolboi.’
Eli Mushumanski received an honorable mention for ‘Baba Yaga Says You’ll Be So Loved.’
The Jacob Zilber Prize for Short Fiction is one of the major annual fiction prizes organized by PRISM International, a Canadian literary magazine founded through the University of British Columbia’s Creative Writing Program. The prize was established in honour of Jacob Zilber, a writer, mentor, and co-founder of the magazine who helped shape creative writing education in Canada.
Congratulations, Habiba Dokubo-Asari, Matt Hawkins, Cletus Okoro (Chimezie Okoro), and Eli Mushumanski!
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