Bryan Washington | |
---|---|
Born | Kentucky, U.S. | April 22, 1993
Occupation |
|
Citizenship | American |
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) |
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.
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]
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]