The winner of the 2019 Salam Award for Imaginative Fiction, which recognizes emerging speculative fiction writers of Pakistani origin or residence, was announced September 25.

Winner

• Kehkashan Khalid for her story The Puppetmaster

Finalists

The two other finalists were:

• Umair Khan for the story Compound
• Fatima Taqvi for the story The Third Feather

Honorable Mentions

• Sadia Khatri  – The City of Mitr

The winner receives:

1. A cash prize of Rs 50,000;
2. Review by an established literary agent for market guidance and possible representation;
3. An editorial review by a professional editor for critique and potential publication in a multi-award winning science fiction magazine;
4. All Expenses paid trip to Orlando, FL to read the winning story as part of the FunctionallyLiterate reading series (Thanks to Burrow Press); and
5. Sponsored participation in ICFA (International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts) as an invited author.

The Salam Award judges were Jeffrey Ford, Mary Anne Mohanraj, and Maha Khan Phillips. In addition to the jury, the top stories will also be reviewed by editor John Joseph Adams and agent Saba Sulaiman.

The Salam Award for Imaginative Fiction is named for Dr. Albus Salam, one of the pioneers of science in Pakistan.