"The Faery Handbag" is a fantasy novelette by American writer Kelly Link, Retrieved 2026-05-04. first published in 2004 in The Faery Reel: Tales from the Twilight Realm Retrieved 2026-04-29. Retrieved 2026-05-04. and again in Link's 2005 short story collection, Magic for Beginners. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
Plot summary The story follows Genevieve, a girl who spends a lot of time with her slightly eccentric grandmother Zofia. Zofia claims to be from the country Baldeziwurlekistan and also to be the guardian of a community of fairies who now live in her black handbag. She often tells outlandish tales about the beings in her handbag and blames them for her overdue library books. Things take a turn for the worse when Genevieve's boyfriend, Jake, snatches Zofia's handbag with the intent of finding out if the stories about it are true.
Reception "The Faery Handbag" was the winner of the 2005 Hugo Award for Best Novelette, Retrieved 2026-04-29. the 2005 Nebula Award for Best Novelette, Retrieved 2026-04-29. and the 2005 Locus Award for Best Novelette. Retrieved 2026-04-29. It was also nominated for the 2005 World Fantasy Award for Short Story.
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