9The Carter V. Cooper Short Fiction Anthology Series features each year's finalists from the annual $15,000 CVC Short Fiction competition, held in memory of Carter Cooper ($10,000 for the best story by an emerging writer, and $5,000 for the best story by a writer at any career point). From writer, artist, philanthropist--and mother of Carter--Gloria Vanderbilt, who began one of the largest literary prizes for emerging writers in Canada: I am proud and thrilled that all these wonderful writers are presented in the CVC Anthology. Carter, my son, Anderson Cooper's brother, was just 23 when he died in 1988. He was a promising editor, writer and, from the time he was a small child, a voracious reader. Carter came from a family of storytellers, and stories were a guide which helped him discover the world. Though I, and those who loved Carter, still hear his voice in our heads and in our hearts, my son's voice was silenced long ago. I hope this prize helps other writers find their voice, and through inclusion in the annual anthology helps them touch others' lives with the mystery and magic of the written word.