George Saunders wins PEN/Malamud short-story prize

NEW YORK (AP) — One of the most celebrated short-story writers in the world has received a top prize for his art form.

George Saunders has won the PEN/Malamud Award, named for short-story master Bernard Malamud. The honor is worth $5,000. It was announced Wednesday by the PEN/Faulkner Foundation in Washington, D.C.

The PEN/Malamud Award is given for excellence in short fiction. Previous winners include Saul Bellow, Eudora Welty and John Updike.

Saunders' books include "Tenth of December," which came out this year and became one of the rare short-story collections to make best-seller lists.