Welcome to the Guardian and 4th Estate 4thWrite Short Story Prize, a competition open to Black, Asian and minority ethnic writers living in the UK or Ireland who are 18 and above.

We’re thrilled to announce that the winner of the 2024 4thWrite Short Story Prize, in association with the Guardian, is Yan F. Zhang and her story, Fleeting Marrow.

Spanning over eight decades, Fleeting Marrow is a story about a woman’s journey through life, her search for purpose, belonging and family, whilst coming to terms with loss and regret.

Huge congratulations, Yan!

Yan F. Zhang is a fiction writer. She is an alum of the Napa Valley Writers Conference and Southampton Writers Conference fiction workshops. She was shortlisted for the Surrey New Writing Prize 2024 and longlisted for The Literary Consultancy Pen Factor Prize 2023.

As the winner, Yan will receive £1,000, a one-day publishing workshop at 4th Estate and publication of her story on the Guardian website.

Here’s what the judges said about Fleeting Marrow:

‘Fleeting Marrow is a story of sweeping ambition, an immersive reading experience, and the promise of an interesting writer. I look forward to what they write in the future.’ Sheena Patel, author of I’m a Fan, which was an Observer Best Debut of 2022

‘A distinctively fearsome and memorable performance, which beautifully spans across eight decades.  Fleeting Marrow holds an earnest understanding of innocence when left to a life of harrowing loss and political sorrow, whilst cleverly underscoring a vivacious and urgent sense of wonder, hope, and possibility.’ Zing Tsjeng, former editor-in-chief of VICE and the author of the Forgotten Women book series

‘Fleeting Marrow is an ambitious, decades-spanning story about the real-life deportation of Chinese sailors from Liverpool. It takes the raw source material of this historical tragedy and transforms it into something truly moving.’ Emma Leong, literary agent at Janklow & Nesbit UK

Additionally, due to the overwhelmingly high standard of the submissions, the judges were thrilled to give out a special commendation this year, which was awarded to The Sound of Water by Vee Matsumari.

The Sound of Water features a father recounting a family day at the beach during his daughter’s childhood, contemplating on the kinds of love that transform us.

V. Matsumari is a queer writer living in London. They have previously written for The Toe Rag, Rat World, Nowhere Girl Collective and Farrago. They self-published their debut poetry collection, Only Years in the Making, in 2024, and are also working on their first novel. When they’re not rearranging little black lines on a page, they can be found reading under a tree, exploring some body of water, or having a meal with friends. Follow Vee on Instagram @vmatsumari.

Here’s what the judges had to say about The Sound of Water:

‘The Sound of Water is a beautiful, subtle and deeply moving story of transition, parenthood and mortality by a writer with great promise.’ Kishani Widyaratna, Publisher at 4th Estate and Editor of the Year at the 2024 British Book Awards

‘A polished and confident stylist, with impressive control of their material and emotional depth. From the first line, you feel for the narrator and you want to know more. Every sentence is a pleasure to read.’ Justine Jordan, Fiction Editor at the Guardian

‘An elegantly told narrative, a pocket of modern life, examining the beauty of renewal in gender transitioning through uses of water; offering delicate glimpses into past lives, fears, futures before realising the direction wanted and wished for. It is an emotive exploration of the power of persistence, flow, fluidity, and life itself.’ Emma Leong, literary agent at Janklow & Nesbit UK

Please see below to learn more about the other writers and stories shortlist for this year’s prize.

To get in touch with any of the writers, please email 4thWritePrize@harpercollins.co.uk

MARCELLA MARX, THE TIMING OF THINGS

The Timing of Things centres around a conversation between a mother and her teenage daughter, as the mother reflects on one of her teenage patients who is struggling with her sexual identity. The narrative highlights the tension between the passage of time and the quality of relationships, emphasising how individuals can become oblivious to the needs of those close to them. 

Marcella Marx is a Brazilian writer and educator who holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Birkbeck. Her short stories have been longlisted for the Berlin Writing Prize and shortlisted for the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival. Currently, she is completing the final editing for her debut novel, “The Past is Another Country,” while simultaneously working on her second novel. Additionally she is taking part in the prestigious London Library Emerging Writers Programme for 2024/2025. Her short story titled “Icebergs” is forthcoming in The Georgia Review.

ISABELLA PERALTA, JOY

In Joy, a lonely salaryman purchases and assembles his ideal mail-order bride, only to discover that she has begun to dream of a life beyond their home — without him.

Isabella Peralta is a writer and educator based in England. As an advocate of racial and cultural diversity in literature and new media, she has worked for various organizations and platforms that champion underrepresented voices, including We Need Diverse Books. She is currently pursuing an MSt in Creative Writing at the University of Cambridge and working on her first novel.

Follow Isabella on Instagram and Twitter @isabellaperalta

ANVI PRABHU, IN THIS WORLD WE BURN IN DIFFERENT WAYS

Set in the 1980’s, a woman grapples with grief and her search for meaning and solace through her memories, cassette tapes, and tarot cards as she uproots herself from her childhood home in the Western Ghats to a snow laden winter in New York.

Anvi Prabhu is a London based, award winning multi-disciplinary artist. She has travelled, performed, and showcased her work widely across India, China, Bhutan, USA, and the UK. She holds an MA in Fine Arts from Chelsea college of Arts, London. She has published two chapbooks of poetry in 2011 and 2014. She has read her work at She Grrowls, Properganda festival and Fusion of Arts festival among others. In 2022 she founded ‘SOUL SAUCE LITERARY’, a bi-annual online magazine to showcase writings at the intersection of literature and philosophy. She is currently working on polishing the drafts of two novels, an experimental novella, and a short story collection.

Follow Anvi on Instagram @anviprabhuart

PRIYANKA VERMA, ASCEND

Ascend is about a woman who comes to live and work as a maid for an Indian family in a foreign country. As she builds her life and begins to find moments of connection and agency, her faith is ultimately put to test within a society where she has no real power.  

Priyanka Verma is a writer of South Asian origin based in London. In 2022 she was selected for the Rewrite Academy, a writing development program for writers of colour. Her short stories have been longlisted for the CRAFT and The Brick Lane Bookshop Short Story Prizes. She is currently at work on a novel and a collection of short stories exploring themes of migration, class and womanhood.

Don’t forget to join the conversation online @4thestatebooks using the hashtag #4thWritePrize.