We are pleased to announce the winner of the 2018 Aura Estrada Short Story Contest, selected by judge Viet Thanh Nguyen.

Congratulations to Herselman Hattingh, who won for his story “The Recorder.” Hattingh also receives a $1,500 prize.

Nguyen writes, ““The Recorder’ is as spare and foreboding as the desert of its setting. Mysterious and philosophical, the story questions human existence and purpose. The enigma of its ending will remain with the reader.”

You can read the story here.

In addition to the winner, our prize honors Aura Estrada (1977–2007), a promising young Mexican writer and student and wife of the writer Francisco Goldman. Boston Review published several of her works. More on her life and writing can be found here.

We hope you’ll submit for the next contest, judged by Alexander Chee. The deadline for entries is October 1, 2018. For full submission guidelines, see our contest page.