$10,000 literary award named for the late author Gabe Hudson goes to Ayana Mathis’ ‘The Unsettled’

NEW YORK (AP) — A $10,000 literary award named for the late author-editor-podcaster Gabe Hudson has been established by the publisher McSweeney’s, where Hudson once worked.

The inaugural winner, Ayana Mathis’ “The Unsettled,” was announced Thursday, on what would have been Hudson’s 53rd birthday. He died last year from complications due to undiagnosed diabetes. Hudson published two books, the story collection “Dear Mr. President” and the novel “Gork the Teenage Dragon,” and was widely admired for his support of other writers.

“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,” Mathis said in a statement.

The prize, which honors the best second work of fiction of the previous year, was decided upon by a four-judge panel led by novelist Akhil Sharma. Hudson’s mother, Sanchia Semere, provided funding for the award.

“Gabe, my son, wanted to be a writer from a young age. He was a voracious reader, and was friends with many in the writing community, as well as a friend to many who sought his advice on writing,” Semere said in a statement. “I recall Gabe submitting to McSweeney’s early on, and the thrill he experienced when McSweeney’s published a submission. 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.”

Runners-up for the Hudson prize were Justin Torres’ “Blackouts,” Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah’s “Chain Gang All-Stars” and Hilary Leichter’s “Terrace Story.”