Alumnus Jared Lemus won a prize for his debut short story collection

Jared Lemus (A&S ’22G) is the 2026 recipient of the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection for his book, “Guatemalan Rhapsody.” The award honors a work of significant literary merit and bestows a $25,000 prize earmarked to support a subsequent creative project.

The PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize judges described Lemus’ short story collection as “written with tenderness and lithe prose intertwined with humor …” and “... rare is the debut that arrives fully rendered and delivers a writer whose voice and talent promise even greater things to come.”

Lemus’ stories have appeared in publications including The Atlantic, The Kenyon Review, Story, PANK, Cleaver and Joyland. His novel, “Magic in the Land of Eternal Spring,” is forthcoming with Ecco-HarperCollins in spring 2027.

Photography courtesy of Jared Lemus