We are excited to announce that prize judge Charles Yu has selected The Devil and the Dairy Princess by Pedro Ponce as the winner of the 2020 Don Belton Fiction Prize! We are honored to have read so many incredible novels, novellas, and short story collections. Many thanks to everyone who submitted their work and made this year’s Don Belton Fiction Prize possible. The Devil and the Dairy Princess will be published by Indiana University Press in trade paperback form in 2021 as part of the Blue Lights Book Series.

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2020 Don Belton Fiction Prize Winner

The Devil and the Dairy Princess by Pedro Ponce

Charles Yu says, “I found The Devil and the Dairy Princess to be strikingly original. Each piece is distinctive, innovative, and full of fresh surprises. Yet the collection as a whole is cohesive in tone and voice, evocative, playful, haunting spaces both dreamy and nightmarish.”

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Congratulations to our finalists…

Pretend It’s My Body: Stories by Luke Blue

Rabbit Moon by Alicia Fuhrman

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Interested in more publishing opportunities with IR / IU Press? Our Blue Light Books Prize is open Sept. 1 – Oct. 31. Send poetry manuscripts of 48-75 pages for a chance to win $2,000 and publication.