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 Rash, Deesha Philyaw, Mesha Maren, Emily Nemens, Ashleigh Bryant Phillips, Tony Earley, Exodus Oktavia Brownlow, A. J. Bermudez, Heather Swain, Chelyen Davis, Joanna Pearson, Jody Hobbs Hesler, Dean Marshall Tuck, Emily Harper Ellis, Farheen Raparthi, Randy F. Nelson, Catherine Niolet, Lisa Wartenberg Vélez, and Pritha Bhattacharyya.

This 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.