Congratulations to Shastri Akella, winner of the 2025 Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize, for “The Border Ghosts”, a “tender and haunting” story of queer love on the Kashmir border that explores “themes of isolation, vulnerability, and connection across literal and figurative [boundaries]” (Ottessa Moshfegh, 2025 judge).
Set in the liminal space of a borderland near Kashmir, “The Border Ghosts” is about love and how it can set gentle acts of resistance into motion and alter our perception of who we call a monster.
“This prize has fueled my love for the form of the short story. And the timing is perfect: my agent and I will soon be pitching my story collection!”
Shastri Akella’s debut novel, The Sea Elephants (Penguin India, Flatiron Books USA) was named a most anticipated debut by Good Morning America. Lauren Groff selected his story for the 2024 Best American Short Fiction. His stories received recognition in the 2025 Galley Beggar Prize, the 2024 William Faulkner Prize, and the 2024 BLR Goldenberg Contest. His writing is available in Guernica, The Fairy Tale Review, Black Warrior Review, and elsewhere.
Visit Shastri’s website at shastriakella.com
Find Shastri on Instagram, @shastriav