"One of those rare, transformative novels" KARIM MISKE "Funny and poignant" TIFFANY TSAO, author of The Majesties Initially a little intrigued, all babies eventually return the security guard's smile. The security guard adores babies. Perhaps because babies do not shoplift. Babies adore the security guard. Perhaps because he does not drag babies to the sales. The 1960s - Ferdinand arrives in Paris from Cote d'Ivoire, ready to take on the world and become a big somebody. The 1990s - It is the Golden Age of immigration, and Ossiri and Kassoum navigate a Paris on the brink of momentous change. The 2010s - In a Sephora on the Champs-Elysees, the all-seeing eyes of a security guard observes the habits of those who come to worship at this church to consumerism. Amidst the political bickering of the inhabitants of the Residence for Students from Cote d'Ivoire and the ever-changing landscape of French immigration policy, Ferdinand, Ossiri and Kassoum, two generations of Ivoirians, attempt to make their way as undocumented workers, taking shifts as security at a flour mill. Sharply satirical, political and poignant, Standing Heavy is a searingly witty deconstruction of colonial legacies and capitalist consumption, an unprecedented and unforgettable account of everything that passes under a security guard's gaze. Translated from the French by Frank Wynne "Inventive and very funny" Guardian "A compact, humane satire" Financial Times
About The O. Henry Prize Stories 2014 The O. Henry Prize Stories 2014 gathers twenty of the best short stories of the year, selected from thousands published in literary magazines. The winning stories roam the world, from Nigeria to Venice, from an erupting volcano in Iceland to a brothel in the old Wild West. They feature a dazzling array of characters: a young American falling in love in Japan, a girl raised by snake-handling fundamentalists, an old man mourning his late wife, and a fierce guard dog with a talent for escape. Accompanying the stories are the editor’s introduction, essays from the eminent jurors on their favorite stories, observations from the winning writers on what inspired them, and an extensive resource list of magazines. Mark Haddon, “The Gun,” Granta Stephen Dixon, “Talk,” The American Reader Tessa Hadley, “Valentine,” The New Yorker Olivia Clare, “Pétur,” Ecotone David Bradley, “You Remember The Pin Mill,” Narrative Kirstin Valdez Quade, “Nemecia,” Narrativemagazine.com Dylan Landis, “Trust,” Tin House Allison Alsup, “Old Houses,” New Orleans Review Halina Duraj, “Fatherland,” Harvard Review Chanelle Benz, “West of the Known,” The American Reader William Trevor, “The Women,” The New Yorker Colleen Morrissey, “Good Faith,” The Cincinnati Review Robert Anthony Siegel, “The Right Imaginary Person,” Tin House Louise Erdrich, “Nero,” The New Yorker Rebecca Hirsch Garcia, “A Golden Light,” Threepenny Review Chinelo Okparanta, “Fairness,” Subtropics Kristen Iskandrian, “The Inheritors,” Tin House Michael Parker, “Deep Eddy,” Southwest Review Maura Stanton, “Oh Shenandoah,” New England Review Laura van den Berg, “Opa-Locka,” The Southern Review The Jurors on Their Favorites: Tash Aw, James Lasdun, Joan Silber The Writers on Their Work Publications Submitted
