"Fire through Glass" wins the State Literary Award in 2025

I’ve heard most people at award shows carefully coach their responses, so that the winners ensure they put on their most bashful expressions, and any losers can wear their most cheerful, congratulating grins. I guess it makes sense. Authentic and unpredictable reactions go hand in hand, and you really don’t want the latter at your award ceremony.

That said, in this case that’s definitely not what happened. The invitation in the mail came last minute, with little to no details except the venue and the date. I mostly showed up from a mix of genuine curiosity, and because I’d really enjoyed that evening all those years ago with those illustrious professors and authors who I normally knew only through bookshelves and newspages.

If anything, I felt more intimidated by the crowd the second time, without the breezy innocence of fourteen-year-old Cheka’s perspective. And as such, I was far more surprised when I was called up to receive the State Literary Award.