The awards are voted upon by a jury, with input from the board of advisors. The jury is composed of professional writers, editors, critics, and academics. The awards are given for works published in the previous calendar year.[4] Works produced by members of the jury are not eligible during the calendar year during which they serve as judges. Members of the board of advisors may recommend works to the judges, but they do not vote on works.[5]
At least 40,000 words, consisting of at least 3 stories by 3 or more authors. At least half of the included works must have been previously unpublished.
Special Awards
At the discretion of the jury, a Special Award may be awarded outside of the normal categories.[5] In 2010, a Board of Directors Award was presented to Joyce Carol Oates.[6] In 2016, Ruth Franklin was awarded a Board of Directors Award for the biography Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life.[7] In 2021, a Special Award was presented to Ellen Datlow for the anthology When Things Get Dark: Stories Inspired by Shirley Jackson.[8]
Recognition
Writing in Salon in 2010, Laura Miller noted, "The awards...have already proved a fitting tribute to a writer who roamed freely over similar ground and has never quite gotten the respect she deserves."[9] A 2023 article in The Harvard Crimson stated that the award "crosses stylistic and geographical boundaries, nominating diverse authors from across the world."[10]
All Shirley Jackson Award finalists receive an engraved stone to commemorate their achievement, a practice inspired by Jackson's short story “The Lottery.”[11]
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