Jay Gao, a Chinese Scottish poet and fiction writer, wins the 2022 Desperate Literature Short Story Competition with The Baron and His Volcano.
Jay is the author of Imperium (2022), forthcoming from Carcanet Press. He is a Contributing Editor for The White Review. He is based in Edinburgh and New York City, where he is an incoming PhD student in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University
As this year’s winner, Jay receives a fellowship at Civitalla Ranieri, cash award, editing, consultation with an agent and publication in Eleven Stories 2022.
Prize juror, Joanna Walsh comments on Jay’s story: ‘A vertiginously nested mystery story about narrative itself.’
2022 Prize RUNNERS-UP
Signs and Cymbals – Evan Martinak
The Mouse’s Bride – Avigayl Sharp