If you’re a fan of Southern lit, you may remember the annual editions of New Stories from the South, which shared regional writers both eminent and emergent from 1986 to 2010. Now, thanks to Blair, a Durham-based nonprofit press, the beloved anthology has returned with 19 new tales.
In a spirited introduction to this new edition, Kentucky writer Silas House welcomes back an endeavor that was both “proof that Southern literature was very much alive” and “a yearly reminder that the South was much more than the stereotypes the world has about it.” The 2026 collection shares ample contributions from WNC writers, including mountain scribe Ron Rash, whose story “The Cottage” spins stoic grace around a tale of abandoned love. With pieces by regional authors like Tony Earley, Joanna Pearson, and Emily Harper Ellis, this volume shares a South that’s as complex, beautiful, and challenging as the real thing.