Bryan Washington

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.

Bryan Washington
Born	(1993-04-22) April 22, 1993 (age 32) Kentucky, U.S.
Occupation	Writer scholar
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 and moved to Katy, Texas 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 2011.^[4] Washington graduated from the University of Houston with a BA in English, and continued his education at the University of New Orleans where he graduated with an MFA.^[5]

Career

For his collection of short stories, Lot, he was recognized as one of the National Book Foundation's 5 Under 35. Lot, a series of interconnected short stories set in Houston, was 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 was the winner of 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 on October 27, 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 also named a New York Times Notable Book.^[11] Prior to publication, A24 purchased the rights to adapt the novel for television, with Washington adapting his novel.^[12] His second novel Family Meal was also shortlisted for the 2024 Lambda Literary Award for Gay Fiction.^[13]

Washington lectures in English at Rice University, where 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

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.

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.