A literary award of $10,000 has been introduced by McSweeney’s publisher in honor of the late Gabe Hudson, who was an author, editor, and podcaster. Hudson, known for his works such as “Dear Mr. President” and “Gork the Teenage Dragon,” passed away last year due to complications from undiagnosed diabetes. The award is named the Gabe Hudson Prize, with the first recipient being Ayana Mathis for her book “The Unsettled,” unveiled on what would have been Hudson’s 53rd birthday.
Mathis expressed her gratitude by stating, “It is the privilege of a lifetime to become part of Gabe’s legacy of generosity, literary community, and artistic excellence as the inaugural recipient of this distinguished award.” The prize, designed to celebrate the best second work of fiction from the previous year, was decided by a panel of judges led by novelist Akhil Sharma, with funding provided by Hudson’s mother, Sanchia Semere.
Semere shared, “I can think of no better way for Gabe’s name to live on than to establish the Gabe Hudson Prize at McSweeney’s to award writers whose second books exemplify the notions of humor, satire and the generosity of spirit for which Gabe was known.” Other notable entries for the prize included Justin Torres’ “Blackouts,” Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah’s “Chain Gang All-Stars,” and Hilary Leichter’s “Terrace Story.”
