World Fantasy Award for Best Short Story

The World Fantasy Awards are given each year by the World Fantasy Convention for the best fantasy fiction published in English during the previous calendar year. The awards have been described by book critics such as The Guardian as a "prestigious fantasy prize", and one of the three most prestigious speculative fiction awards, along with the Hugo and Nebula Awards (which cover both fantasy and science fiction). The World Fantasy Award for Best Short Story is given each year for fantasy short stories published in English. A work of fiction is defined by the organization as a short story if it is 10,000 words or less in length; awards are also given out for longer pieces in the novel and novella categories. The World Fantasy Award for Best Short Story has been awarded annually since 1975, though before 1982—when the novella category was instated—the category was named "Best Short Fiction" and covered works of up to 40,000 words.