Oakland, CA - Yiyun Li, assistant professor of English at Mills College, has received the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award, the largest short story prize in the world. The award of 50,000 euros (approximately $60,385) was given to Li for her debut collection of short stories, A Thousand Years of Good Prayers (Random House, September 2005). Set in China, the collection explores how fate is created through the intersection of personality with politics, history, mythology, and culture.

Li teaches fiction and creative non-fiction to graduate and undergraduate students at Mills. She is currently under contract with Random House for her novel-in-progress, and her fiction and memoir writing have been published in major magazines nationwide.

According to Val McDermid, chair of this year’s O’Connor jury, A Thousand Years of Good Prayers “demonstrates an admirable command of the short story form, revealing moments of extraordinary brilliance along the way.”

Sponsored by O’Flynn Construction, the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award honors Ireland’s most renowned exponent of the short story. The award is organized by Munster Literature Centre and is part of the literary program of Cork’s current tenure as European Capital of Culture.

Mills College is a nationally renowned, independent liberal arts college offering innovative degree programs for undergraduate women, and graduate degree and certificate programs for women and men. Consistently ranked among the top 75 liberal arts colleges in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Mills is also recognized as one of the country’s 20 most diverse colleges. The Princeton Review selected Mills as one of 11 colleges for first-time inclusion in its Best 361 Colleges - 2005. Nestled in the foothills of Oakland, California on 135 lush acres, Mills provides a dynamic liberal arts education fostering women’s leadership, social responsibility, and creativity.

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