Bryan Washington
American writer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bryan Washington (born April 22, 1993)[1] is an American writer from Houston. He published his debut short story collection, Lot, in 2019[2] and a novel, Memorial, in 2020.
- Writer
- scholar
University of New Orleans (MFA)
Bryan Washington | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 22, 1993 Kentucky, U.S. |
| Occupation |
|
| Education | University of Houston (BA) University of New Orleans (MFA) |
| Genre | Fiction |
| Notable works | Lot Memorial |
| Notable awards | Dylan Thomas Prize (2020) Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence (2019) |
Early life and education
Washington was born 1993 in Kentucky; his family moved to Katy, Texas, 30 miles west of Houston, when he was 3 years old.[3][4] He knew he was gay at a young age but did not formally come out, fearing stigmatization. He graduated from James E. Taylor High School in Katy in 2011.[4]
Washington graduated from the University of Houston with a BA in English, and continued his education at the University of New Orleans. There he earned a Master of Fine Arts.[5]
Career
Washington's first book was Lot, a series of interconnected short stories set in Houston, and published in 2019 by Riverhead.[5] The book centers in part on Nicolás, a young man of mixed African American and Latino American descent who works in his family's restaurant while coming to terms with his sexuality.[6] The book won the 2019 Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence,[7] the 2020 Dylan Thomas Prize,[8] and the 2020 Lambda Literary Award for Gay Fiction.[9]
Washington's debut novel, Memorial, was published in 2020. [10] In addition to being longlisted for the Aspen Words Literary Prize, the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, and the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, Memorial was selected as a New York Times Notable Book.[11] Prior to publication, A24 purchased the rights to adapt the novel for television, with Washington to write the screenplay adaptation.[12]
His second novel Family Meal was shortlisted for the 2024 Lambda Literary Award for Gay Fiction.[13]
Washington lectures in English at Rice University. In July 2020, he was made George Guion Williams Writer in Residence and Scholar in Residence for Racial Justice.[4]
Awards
| Year | Title | Award | Category | Result | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Lot | Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence | — | Won | [7] |
| Texas Institute of Letters Award | Sergio Troncoso Award | Won | |||
| 2020 | Aspen Words Literary Prize | — | Shortlisted | [14] | |
| Crook's Corner Book Prize | — | Longlisted | |||
| Dylan Thomas Prize | — | Won | [8] | ||
| Edmund White Award | — | Shortlisted | [15] | ||
| Lambda Literary Awards | Gay Fiction | Won | [9] | ||
| Young Lions Fiction Award | — | Won | [16] | ||
| Memorial: A Novel | Center for Fiction First Novel Prize | — | Longlisted | ||
| National Book Critics Circle Award | Fiction | Shortlisted | |||
| 2021 | Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence | Fiction | Longlisted | ||
| Aspen Words Literary Prize | — | Longlisted | |||
| Heartland Booksellers Award | Fiction | Won | |||
| Ferro-Grumley Award | LGBTQ Fiction | Shortlisted | |||
| VCU Cabell First Novelist Award | — | Shortlisted | |||
| 2022 | James Tait Black Memorial Prize | — | Shortlisted | ||
| William Saroyan International Prize for Writing | Fiction | Shortlisted | |||
| 2025 | Palaver | National Book Award | Fiction | Finalist | [17] |
Bibliography
Books
- —— (2019). Lot: Stories (1st ed.). Riverhead Books. ISBN 978-0-525-53367-2.
- —— (2020). Memorial: A Novel. Riverhead Books. ISBN 978-0-593-08727-5.
- —— (2023). Family Meal: A Novel (1st ed.). Riverhead Books. ISBN 978-0-593-42109-3.
- —— (2025). Palaver (1st ed.). Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-0-374-60907-8.
Fiction and essays
- Washington, Bryan (August 8, 2019). "How Many". Flash Fiction. The New Yorker.
- Washington, Bryan (August 3, 2020). "Heirlooms". Fiction. The New Yorker. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
- Washington, Bryan (June 14, 2021). "Foster". Fiction. The New Yorker.
- Washington, Bryan. "Arrivals". Fiction. The New Yorker. No. July 11 & 18, 2022.
- Washington, Bryan. "Last Coffeehouse on Travis". Fiction. The New Yorker. Sep. 16, 2024.
- Washington, Bryan. "Hatagaya Lore". Fiction. The New Yorker. March 23, 2025.
- Washington, Bryan. "Voyagers". Fiction. The New Yorker. Sept. 15, 2025.
