Lydia Mathis Wins Inaugural CULTURED Young Writers Prize with Montblanc

Lydia Mathis, an Atlanta-based author, has been named the first recipient of CULTURED magazine's Young Writers Prize, presented in collaboration with Montblanc. The award includes a $10,000 unrestricted grant. Mathis was selected from a group of 10 emerging writers, all aged 30 and under, who were featured in CULTURED's summer Indulgence issue as part of the magazine's inaugural Young Writers class. A jury of six literary figures—Jia Tolentino, Christopher Bollen, Kiara Barrow, Hanif Abdurraqib, Emmeline Clein, and Montblanc's Alexa Schilz—reviewed galleys before choosing Mathis. Her debut short story collection, Desperate Bodies, is published this month by Roxane Gay's imprint. In an interview with the jury, Mathis discussed her writing process, the short story form, and the themes of her collection. She noted that the short story's compression is 'freeing and relieving,' and that the title Desperate Bodies reflects her characters' intense wanting. The collection grew from stories written during her time at New York University, where professor Alan Grostephan encouraged her to pursue writing. She later expanded the manuscript with guidance from editor Roxane Gay. Mathis's win highlights the ongoing support for emerging literary voices through institutional partnerships.