ANNOUNCING BOUCHERCON 2026 ANTHOLOGY FINALISTS

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

We are thrilled to recognize the following short stories as our select Finalists.

We received a total of 176 short stories from around the world. All stories have been read blind by a large committee of committed adjudicators and myself, the Editor. The finalist stories listed below have now been sent to the Guest Editor, Jess Lourey, who is selecting and advising on the final winners. Those winning stories will be published in October 2026 in Bouchercon Calgary’s Anthology, and each winning author will receive $75 US.

A book launch and signing will be held at Bouchercon 2026: Calgary on Thursday, October 22. All winning authors, finalists and judges will be invited, along with all attendees.

Congratulations to each of our Finalists !

 

2026 FINALISTS

A Derryman Cheryl Malone
A Fish Tale Michael Wiley
Beyond the Pale Terri Karsten
Bones and Barbed Wire Thomas A. Burns, Jr.
Border Queen Linda Sanche
Borderline Connie Johnson Hambley
Cold Mercy Rowan James
Crossing Lines Cal Stone
Crossing the Line Vinnie Hansen
Deadline Larry S. Evans II
Dragon Meat in Heaven Charles Philipp Martin
Eye of the Storm Madona Skaff
Flutz’ Cluck Truck Susan Hammerman and Sandra SG Wong
Garden Plot John M. Floyd
Gift Horse Nikolett Popovics
Homestay Huck Kahng
Kwibuka 30 Heather Bonin MacIntosh
Liminal Predators Lily Corbeau
Links in the Chain Brenda Buchanan
Murder at the Border Café Ruth Knafo Setton
Neighbourhood Watch Lisa Harkrader
Of Chalk and Bone Shelly Jones
One Good Thing Raymond J. Brash
Ovenbird donalee Moulton
Penalty of the Sack R.J. Koreto
Silenced Wings Tracey Devlyn
Sleeper Plus Class Brenda Seabrooke
Snake in the Grass BV Lawson
The 10th Man Kathy A. Norris
The Double Tairi Blair
The Drive Pam F. Martin
The Fuzzy Border Between Life and Death Tammy Euliano
The Journals of Doc Young Nancy Pawelek
The Last Shaman Susan Zhao
The Ledger of the Lost Alexandra Burt
The Seiche Kate Michaelson
The Widow of Cape Spear Charles Schipps
Thesis of Death Clay Stafford
They Never Knock Twice Charles Schipps
When Pop Crossed the Border Linda Norlander

 

Olyn Fleming Ozbick, Editor

Olyn Fleming Ozbick is a screenwriter, short story writer, novelist and journalist. Her three-time international award-winning screenplay Stumbling into a Chair has been made into a film for release in 2025. As Editor of Bouchercon’s annual Anthology of short mystery stories, she currently works both sides of the editorial desk. These are roles to which she is accustomed, as a multiple international-award-winning editor and publisher. Her short stories are published in literary journals throughout Canada, the US and UK. Her essays and journalism are published extensively. She is the recipient of support from Banff Centre for the Arts, and Canada Council. She has taught Writing at the Alexandra Writers Centre for the past 12 years. Prior to that she taught Feature Writing in the Journalism Department at Mount Royal University. She shares her time between Calgary, AB and Mesa, AZ when she isn’t traveling to meet and understand the vastly differing peoples and experiences that abound on our abundant planet.

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