Salt author Giselle Leeb on the Edge Hill Short Story Prize 2023 longlist

We’re delighted that Giselle Leeb’s glorious short story collection Mammals, I Think We Are Called has made the longlist for the Edge Hill Prize.

Giselle is an experienced writer who has had her work widely published in journals, magazines, and anthologies, including Best British Short Stories 2017. Mammals, I Think We Are Called, published by Salt in October 2022, marked her debut collection, containing 18 strikingly original stories.

Giselle uses outsider characters and dark humour to explore the complexities of being human in the twenty-first century. Wide-ranging in themes, these stories are compelling and beautifully written - we guarantee you won’t read anything else like them.

The Edge Hill Short Story Prize seeks to highlight the diverse voices and exceptional talents of contemporary short story writers in the UK and Ireland, and this year’s longlist showcases a huge diversity of styles, themes and narrative techniques.

Billy Cowan, Edge Hill Short Story Prize organiser, said: “The short story is often an underappreciated form of fiction and we’re proud to continue supporting it through the Edge Hill Short Story Prize.

“In the past, the prize has been won by established and emerging authors alike, and we’re excited to see who the next name on that list is going to be.”

A shortlist will be announced by September, with the winner of the £10,000 prize announced in November. We wish Giselle the very best of luck.