September/October 2026 - Recent Winners

Academy of American Poets

Treehouse Climate Action Poem Prize

Malia Maxwell of Baltimore won the 2026 Treehouse Climate Action Poem Prize for “In the not-not-woods.” She received $1,000 and publication on the Academy of American Poets website in the Poem-a-Day series. Clara Deser and Craig Santos Perez judged. The annual prize is given for a poem that helps readers recognize “the vulnerable state of our environment.” (See Deadlines.)

Academy of American Poets, Treehouse Climate Action Poem Prize, 195 Broadway, #9, New York, NY 10007. Ry Cook, Senior Programs Manager.
[email protected] poets.org/academy-american-poets/prizes/treehouse-climate-action-poem-prize

Alice James Books

Alice James Award

Anna Maria Hong of South Hadley, Massachusetts, won the 2026 Alice James Award for Dispellations. She received $2,000, and her book will be published by Alice James Books in September 2028. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. (See Deadlines.)

Alice James Books, Alice James Award, Auburn Hall, 60 Pineland Drive, Suite 206, New Gloucester, ME 04260. (207) 926-8283.
[email protected] alicejamesbooks.org/submit

American Academy in Rome

Rome Prize

Poet Lauren K. Alleyne of Harrisonburg, Virginia, won the 2026–2027 Joseph Brodsky Rome Prize for her poetry-collection-in-progress, “Forests of the 21st Century.” Fiction writer Yiyun Li of Princeton, New Jersey, won the John Guare Writers Fund Rome Prize for her novels-in-progress, parts two and three of The Nocturn Trilogy. Nonfiction writer Nathan Thrall of Jerusalem won the Rome Prize in Literature for his untitled nonfiction manuscript-in-progress. They each received $16,000 and a five-month residency at the American Academy in Rome. The annual awards are given to support the development of writing projects that involve “advanced independent work and research in the arts and humanities.” (See Deadlines.)

American Academy in Rome, Rome Prize, 535 West 22nd Street, Third Floor, New York, NY 10011. (212) 751-7200, ext. 344. Shawn Miller, Program Director.
[email protected] aarome.org/apply/rome-prize

Arkansas International

C.D. Wright Prize for Poetry

Rowyda Amin of New York City won the 2025 C.D. Wright Prize for Poetry for “Mary Toft.” She will receive $1,000 and publication in the Spring 2027 issue of Arkansas International. Forrest Gander and Brecht Wright Gander judged. The annual prize is given for a single poem. (See Deadlines.)

Arkansas International, C.D. Wright Prize for Poetry, P.O. Box 3733, Fayetteville, AR 72701. Nan Hanway, Executive Director.
[email protected] arkint.org

Bedford Competition

International Short Story & Poetry Competitions

Robin Muers of Rugby, England, won the 2025 International Poetry Competition for “My Career in Unwelcoming.” David Pidgeon of Bristol, England, won the Short Story Competition for “The Artist in the Mud.” They each received £2,000 (approximately $2,674) and publication in the Bedford Competition anthology. Fran Lock judged in poetry, and Toby Litt judged in fiction. The annual awards are given for a poem and a short story. (See Deadlines.)

Bedford Competition, International Short Story & Poetry Competitions, 113 High Street, Kempston, Bedford, England MK42 7BP.
administrator@bedfordwritingcompetition.... bedfordwritingcompetition.co.uk

Biographers International Organization

Plutarch Award

Francesca Wade of London won the 2026 Plutarch Award for Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife (Scribner). She received $3,000. Neil Baldwin, Emily Bernard, Mary Dearbornf, Andrea Pitzer, and Sydney Stern judged. The annual award is given for a biography published in the previous year. The next deadline is December 1.

Biographers International Organization, Plutarch Award, P.O. Box 33020, Santa Fe, NM 87594. Michael Gately, Executive Director.
[email protected] biographersinternational.org

Blue Mountain Center

Richard J. Margolis Award

Laura Preston of New York City won the 2025 Richard J. Margolis Award. She received $10,000 and a monthlong residency at the Blue Mountain Center, a writers and artists retreat in Blue Mountain Lake, New York. The annual award is given to an essayist or journalist whose work “combines warmth, humor, and wisdom, and sheds light on issues of social justice.” The next deadline is July 1, 2027.

Blue Mountain Center, Richard J. Margolis Award, c/o Margolis Bloom & D’Agostino, 20 William Street, Suite 320, Wellesley, MA 02481.
[email protected] margolisaward.org

Boa Editions

A. Poulin Jr. Poetry Prize

Alejandro Lucero of Baltimore won the 2025 A. Poulin Jr. Poetry Prize for At the Bottom of the Sea With One Light. He received $1,000, and his book will be published by Boa Editions in April 2027. Rigoberto González judged. The annual award is given for a debut book of poetry. The next deadline is November 30.

Boa Editions, A. Poulin Jr. Poetry Prize, 250 North Goodman Street, Suite 306, Rochester, NY 14607. (585) 546-3410. Justine Alfano, Director of Production and Marketing.
[email protected] boaeditions.org

Boulevard

Poetry Contest for Emerging Poets

Inkyoo Lee of New York City won the 2025 Poetry Contest for Emerging Poets for a group of poems. He received $1,000 and publication in Boulevard. The editors judged. The annual award is given for a group of poems by a poet who has not published a poetry collection with a nationally distributed press. The next deadline is June 1, 2027.

Nonfiction Contest for Emerging Writers

Annalisa Bolin of St. Louis won the 2025 Nonfiction Contest for Emerging Writers for her essay “The Bones of the Ocean.” She received $1,000 and publication in Boulevard. The editors judged. The annual award is given for an essay by a writer who has not published a book in any genre with a nationally distributed press. (See Deadlines.)

Boulevard, 3829 Hartford Street, St. Louis, MO 63116. Dusty Freund, Editor.
[email protected] boulevardmagazine.org

Cave Canem Foundation

Derricotte/Eady Chapbook Prize

Chaun Ballard of Columbia, South Carolina, won the 2026 Derricotte/Eady Chapbook Prize for Love Poems to My Future Self. He received $1,000; publication by O, Miami Books; and 10 author copies. He also read as part of the O, Miami Poetry Festival’s programming in April. giovanni singleton judged. The annual award is given for a poetry chapbook by a Black poet. The next deadline is July 31, 2027.

Cave Canem Foundation, Derricotte/Eady Chapbook Prize, 65 Bleecker Street, Floor Eight, New York, NY 10012. (718) 858-0000.
[email protected] cavecanempoets.org/programs/#prizes

Center for Book Arts

Poetry Chapbook Competition

Ansel Elkins of Lexington, Kentucky, won the 31st annual Poetry Chapbook Competition for A Season of Empty Playgrounds. She will receive $1,000 (a $500 honorarium upon winning and a $500 stipend upon participating in the competition reading in November), publication of her chapbook by the Center for Book Arts, and a weeklong residency at Millay Arts in Austerlitz, New York. Nikky Finney judged. The annual award is given for a poetry chapbook. The next deadline is December 15.

Center for Book Arts, Poetry Chapbook Competition, 28 West 27th Street, Third Floor, New York, NY 10001. Corina Reynolds, Executive Director.
[email protected] centerforbookarts.org/annual-chapbook-competition

Cloudbank Books

Vern Rutsala Book Prize

Michael Lavers of Provo, Utah, won the 2026 Vern Rutsala Book Prize for his poetry collection Unspoken. He received $1,000, publication by Cloudbank Books, and 50 author copies. Robert Morgan judged. The annual award is given for a collection of poetry, flash fiction, or a combination of the two. (See Deadlines.)

Cloudbank Books, Vern Rutsala Book Prize, P.O. Box 610, Corvallis, OR 97339. Michael Malan, Editor.
[email protected] cloudbankbooks.com

Connecticut Poetry Society

Vivian Shipley Poetry Award

Jennifer Tubbs of Milford, Pennsylvania, won the 2025 Vivian Shipley Poetry Award for “How to Write a Nature Poem (for Georgia O’Keeffe).” She received $1,000 as well as publication in Connecticut River Review and on the Connecticut Poetry Society website. Brendan Walsh judged. The annual award is given for a single poem. (See Deadlines.)

Connecticut Poetry Society, Vivian Shipley Poetry Award, P.O. Box 516, Cheshire, CT 06410. Ed Dzitko, Contest Chair.
[email protected] ctpoetry.org

Dogwood

Literary Awards

Jake Salazar of St. Louis won the 2026 Dogwood Literary Award in poetry for “I’ve Been Practicing Burlesque.” Mollie Elizabeth Wood of Lakehead, California, won the award in fiction for “How My Sister and I Start Fires.” Amanda Schmidt of Brookline, Massachusetts, won the award in nonfiction for “Praying.” They each received $1,000, and their works will be published in the 2026 issue of Dogwood. Olivia Mammone judged in poetry, Carley Moore judged in fiction, and Alysia Li Ying Sawchyn judged in nonfiction. The annual awards are given for a poem, a short story, and an essay. The next deadline is September 5, 2027.

Dogwood, Literary Awards, Fairfield University, English Department, 1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield, CT 06824. (203) 254-4000, ext. 2788. Sonya Huber, Editor.
[email protected] dogwoodliterary.wordpress.com

Fiction Collective Two

Catherine Doctorow Innovative Fiction Prize

Sophia Terazawa of Blacksburg, Virginia, won the 2026 Catherine Doctorow Innovative Fiction Prize for her novel Curse Him. She received $15,000, and her book will be published by Fiction Collective Two in fall 2027. Kazim Ali judged. The annual award is given for a novel, a story collection, a novella, or a novella collection by a writer who has published at least three books. (See Deadlines.)

Ronald Sukenick Innovative Fiction Contest

Joe Fletcher of Hillsborough, North Carolina, won the 2026 Ronald Sukenick Innovative Fiction Contest for his novel The Chimeras. He received $3,000, and his book will be published by Fiction Collective Two in fall 2027. Alvin Lu judged. The annual award is given for a novel, a story collection, a novella, or a novella collection. (See Deadlines.)

Fiction Collective Two, University of Alabama Press, P.O. Box 870380, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487. (205) 348-5180.
[email protected] fc2.org/prizes

Fonograf Editions

Open Genre Book Prize

Sara Deniz Akant of Cambridge, Massachusetts, won the 2025 Open Genre Book Prize for her poetry collection The Kingdom Book of Perihan. She received $1,500, a three-week residency at the Rice Place in Damascus, Oregon, and her poetry collection will be published by Fonograf Editions in fall 2027. The annual award is given for a book in any genre, including poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and hybrid work. (See Deadlines.)

Fonograf Editions, Open Genre Book Prize, 3145 NE 13th Avenue, Portland, OR 97212. (775) 240-7347. Jeff Alessandrelli, Executive Director.
[email protected] fonografeditions.com

Foundation for Contemporary Arts

Grants to Artists

Six poets were awarded 2026 Grants to Artists. Brenda Coultas of New York City received the C.D. Wright Award for Poetry; Harmony Holiday of Los Angeles received the Cy Twombly Award for Poetry; and Jennifer Elise Foerster of San Francisco, Edgar Garcia of Chicago, Denise Newman of San Francisco, and Timmy Straw of New York City won general Grants to Artists awards. Each grantee received $45,000. A panel of artists, arts professionals, and the foundation’s board of directors participated in the grant selection process. The grants and awards are given annually to poets and artists “who continually redefine experimentality and who challenge us to think deeply about the world.” There is no application process.

Foundation for Contemporary Arts, 820 Greenwich Street, #4, New York, NY 10014.
[email protected] foundationforcontemporaryarts.org/grants/grants-to-artists

Furious Flower Poetry Center

Poetry Prize

Wes Matthews of Washington, D.C., won the 2026 Furious Flower Poetry Prize for “Heirloom,” “Nat Turner Travels Back to Childhood,” and “They Say When a Man Has Nothing.” He received $1,500 and publication in Obsidian. He will also give a reading as part of the Furious Flower reading series at James Madison University in September. Major Jackson judged. The annual award is given for a group of poems that contribute to Furious Flower Poetry Center’s mission of “ensuring the visibility, inclusion, and critical consideration of Black poets in American letters.” The next deadline is February 15, 2027.

Furious Flower Poetry Center, Poetry Prize, James Madison University, 880 Madison Drive, MSC 3802, Harrisonburg, VA 22807.
[email protected] jmu.edu/furiousflower/poetryprize

Futurepoem

Other Futures Award

Zaynab Iliyasu Bobi of Providence won the 2025 Other Futures Award for dreed of dandelions. She received $1,000, publication by Futurepoem, and 25 author copies. The editors judged. The annual award is given for a book of poetry or hybrid work “that imagines new lived or literary possibilities and questions established paradigms.” As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.

Futurepoem, Other Futures Award, c/o Poetry Corp, 925 Bergen Street, #405, Brooklyn, NY 11238. (646) 247-9860. Sydney Haas, Assistant Editor and Submissions Manager.
[email protected] futurepoem.com

Ghost Story

Supernatural Fiction Award

Mari Harrison of Easthampton, Massachusetts, won the Spring 2026 Supernatural Fiction Award for “Passage 407.” She received $1,500, and her story was published on the Ghost Story website. The editors judged. The award is given biannually for a short story with a supernatural or magical realist theme. (See Deadlines.)

Ghost Story, Supernatural Fiction Award, P.O. Box 601, Union, ME 04862. Paul Guernsey, Editor.
[email protected] theghoststory.com/tgs-fiction-award

Harvard University

Radcliffe Institute Fellowships

Poet Oli Hazzard of Glasgow, United Kingdom; poet and creative nonfiction writer Ocean Vuong of Western Massachusetts and New York City; fiction writers Ibtisam Azem of New York City, Intan Paramaditha of Rhodes, Australia, and Jacob Shores-Argüello of Waco, Texas; and creative nonfiction writer Ilyon Woo of Cambridge, Massachusetts, received 2026–2027 fellowships from the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. They each received $78,000 and an additional $5,000 to cover project expenses. The annual fellowships are given to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers with substantial publication histories or current contracts for the publication of a book. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.

Harvard University, Radcliffe Institute Fellowships, Byerly Hall, 8 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138. (617) 496-1324.
[email protected]... radcliffe.harvard.edu/radcliffe-fellowship

Hive Poetry Collective

Morton Marcus Memorial Poetry Prize

Joyce Victor of Santa Fe and Salisbury, Connecticut, won the 2025 Morton Marcus Memorial Poetry Prize for “Phillip’s Celebration.” She received $1,000 and an invitation to read at the University of California in Santa Cruz. Nancy Miller Gomez judged. The annual award is given for a poem. (See Deadlines.)

Hive Poetry Collective, Morton Marcus Memorial Poetry Prize, 1325 Laurel Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. (831) 234-2989. Farnaz Fatemi, Treasurer.
[email protected] hivepoetry.org/morton-marcus-prize

John Pollard Foundation

International Poetry Prize

Karen Downs-Barton of Wiltshire, England, won the 2026 John Pollard Foundation International Poetry Prize for Minx (Chatto and Windus). She received €10,000 (approximately $11,423). Seán Hewitt, Una Mannion, and Eoin McNamee judged. The annual award is given for a debut poetry collection published during the previous year. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.

John Pollard Foundation, International Poetry Prize, Trinity Oscar Wilde Centre, 21 Westland Row, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland 2. Sophia Ní Sheoin, Centre Senior Executive Officer.
[email protected] tcd.ie/owc/john-pollard-prize

John Updike Society

John Updike Tucson Casitas Fellowship

Taylor Brown of Savannah, Georgia, won the 2026 John Updike Tucson Casitas Fellowship for his novel-in-progress, “Rise, River, Rise.” He received $1,000 and a two-week residency at the Mission Hill Casitas that John Updike owned and worked out of in Tucson. The annual fellowship is given for a group of poems or a work of fiction or nonfiction. (See Deadlines.)

John Updike Society, John Updike Tucson Casitas Fellowship, c/o James Plath, English Department, Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, IL 61702. Robert M. Luscher, Competition Coordinator.
[email protected] blogs.iwu.edu/johnupdikesociety/grants-scholarships-and-awards

Just Buffalo Literary Center

Poetry Fellowship

Siew Hii of Orlando, Florida, received the 2026 Just Buffalo Literary Center Poetry Fellowship. They received $2,000, a monthlong residency in Buffalo, New York, and an invitation to read at the Silo City Reading Series in Buffalo, New York. Tarfia Faizullah judged. The annual fellowship is given to a poet. The next deadline is February 28, 2027.

Just Buffalo Literary Center, Poetry Fellowship, 468 Washington Street, #2, Buffalo, NY 14203. (716) 832-5400. Noah Falck, Literary Director.
[email protected] justbuffalo.org

Ledbury Poetry

Poetry Competition

Jonathan Edwards of Crosskeys, United Kingdom, won the 2025 Ledbury Poetry Competition for “I am thinking of my mother.” He received £1,000 (approximately $1,337), a course at the United Kingdom–based creative writing nonprofit Arvon, publication of his poem on the Ledbury Poetry Festival website, and an invitation to read at the festival in the summer. Neil Astley judged. The annual award is given for a single poem. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.

Ledbury Poetry, Poetry Competition, 12 New Street, Ledbury, England HR8 2DX. Sabeen Chaudhry, Producer.
[email protected] poetry-festival.co.uk/ledbury-poetry-competition

Lightscatter Press

Poetry Prize

Sagirah Shahid of Minneapolis won the 2025 Lightscatter Press Poetry Prize for SPIRIT: An African American Muslim Lyric. She will receive $1,000, publication by Lightscatter Press in spring 2027, 30 author copies, and a digital edition of her book, which will include images, sound, and touchable features. Heid E. Erdrich judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection or hybrid work written by an emerging writer. (See Deadlines.)

Lightscatter Press, Poetry Prize, 3303 West 7675 South, West Jordan, UT 84084. (801) 635-9825. Lisa Bickmore, Publisher. [email protected] lightscatterpress.org/submit

Los Angeles Times

Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose

Adam Ross of Nashville won the 2025 Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose for Playworld (Knopf). He received $10,000. Dinah Lenney, Deesha Philyaw, and Rick Whitaker judged. The annual award is given for a book of autobiographical prose published in the previous year. There is no application process.

Robert Kirsch Award

Amy Tan of Sausalito, California, won the 2025 Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement. Tan, whose most recent book is the memoir The Backyard Bird Chronicles (Knopf, 2024), received $1,000. The annual award is given to recognize an author “with a substantial connection to the American West.” There is no application process.

Book Prizes

Allison Benis White of Irvine, California, won the 2025 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in poetry for her collection A Magnificent Loneliness (Four Way Books). Bryan Washington of Tokyo and Houston won the prize in fiction for his novel Palaver (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). Justin Haynes of Atlanta won the Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction for his novel, Ibis (Abrams). Silvia Park of Seoul and Lawrence, Kansas, won the Science Fiction/Fantasy Award for her novel Luminous (Simon & Schuster). Brian Goldstone of Atlanta won the prize in current interest for his nonfiction book There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America (Crown). White, Washington, Haynes, Park, and Goldstone each received $500. Remica Bingham-Risher, John Evans, and Airea D. Matthews judged in poetry; Natashia Deón, Scott O’Connor, and Amy Wallen judged in fiction and for the Art Seidenbaum Award; Maurice Broaddus, S. B. Divya, and Maryelizabeth Yturralde judged the Science Fiction/Fantasy Award; and Susan Brenneman, Frances Dinkelspiel, and Miriam Pawel judged in current interest. The annual awards are given for books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction published in the prize year. There is no application process.

Los Angeles Times, 2300 East Imperial Highway, El Segundo, CA 90245. Mattie Schaffer, Associate Director of Programming.
[email protected] events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks/bookprize

Meadowlark Press

Birdy Poetry Prize

David Ebenbach of Washington, D.C., won the 2026 Birdy Poetry Prize for These Blessings Are All We Have. He received $1,000, publication by Meadowlark Press, and 50 author copies. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. The next deadline is December 1.

Meadowlark Press, Birdy Poetry Prize, P.O. Box 333, Emporia, KS 66801. (620) 794-9320.
[email protected] meadowlarkbookstore.com/birdy-poetry-prize

Michigan Quarterly Review

Jesmyn Ward Prize in Fiction

Ariel Katz of Houston won the 2026 Jesmyn Ward Prize in Fiction for “Family Collection.” She received $2,000 and publication in the Summer 2026 issue of Michigan Quarterly Review. Kevin Wilson judged. The annual award is given for a short story. The next deadline is November 30.

Lawrence Foundation Prize

Savannah Balmir Bowen of North Texas won the 2025 Lawrence Foundation Prize for “Running From Rain,” which appeared in the Spring 2025 issue of Michigan Quarterly Review. She received $2,000. Kristen Roupenian judged. The annual award is given for a short story published in Michigan Quarterly Review in the previous year. There is no application process.

Laurence Goldstein Poetry Prize

Katherine Gaffney of Champaign, Illinois, won the 2026 Laurence Goldstein Poetry Prize for “Abecedarian.” She received $1,000 and publication in the Summer 2026 issue of Michigan Quarterly Review. Hala Alyan judged. The annual award is given for a single poem. The next deadline is November 30.

Michigan Quarterly Review, University of Michigan, 3277 Angell Hall, 435 S. State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. (734) 764-9265. Aram Mrjoian, Managing Editor.
[email protected] michiganquarterlyreview.com

Mississippi Review

Mississippi Review Prizes

Daniel Lurie of Madison, Wisconsin, won the 2026 Mississippi Review Prize in poetry for “Still Life With Dead Boys.” Genevieve Abravanel of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, won in fiction for “The School for Frozen Children.” Julia Cirillo of New Jersey won in nonfiction for “Reveries.” They each received $1,000 and publication in Mississippi Review. The editors judged. The annual awards are given for a single poem, a story, and an essay. The next deadline is January 1, 2027.

Mississippi Review, Mississippi Review Prizes, 118 College Drive, #5144, Hattiesburg, MS 39406. (601) 266-4321. Rachael Fowler, Editor.
[email protected] mississippi-review.com

New Literary Project

Joyce Carol Oates Prize

Erika Krouse of Boulder, Colorado, won the 2026 Joyce Carol Oates Prize. Krouse, whose most recent novel is Save Me, Stranger (Flatiron Books, 2025), received $50,000. The annual award is given to “midcareer fiction writers who…drive social change and unleash artistic power across the generations and the nation.” As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.

Jack Hazard Fellowships

Bea Chang of Seattle; Emily Cinquemani of Greenville, South Carolina; Ambalila Hemsell of Tacoma; James Klise of Chicago; Luisa Muradyan of Kansas City, Missouri; Brittany Rogers of Detroit; and Nicole Lozano Simonsen of Sacramento, California, received 2026 Jack Hazard Fellowships. They will each receive $5,000. The awards are given annually to creative writers from across the United States who teach high school students full time and are at work on a piece of fiction or creative nonfiction or a memoir. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.

New Literary Project, 4100 Redwood Road, Suite 20A/424, Oakland, CA 94619. Abby Donahue, Project Manager,
[email protected] newliteraryproject.org/home

Nightboat Books

Poetry Prize

Michelle Alexander of Chicago and Izzy Casey of New York City won the 2025 Nightboat Books Poetry Prize for Painstar, Starline and Queen of the Little Stinkers, respectively. They each received $1,200, publication of their book by Nightboat Books, and 25 author copies. The editors judged. The annual award is given for up to four poetry collections. The next deadline is November 15.

Nightboat Books, Poetry Prize, 130 Palmetto Street, Studio 205, Brooklyn, NY 11221.
[email protected] nightboat.org

New York Public Library

Cullman Center Fellowships

Poet Nick Flynn of New York City; fiction writers Yaa Gyasi, Megha Majumdar, and Alexander Sammartino, all of New York City; and creative nonfiction writers Kasim Kashgar of Virginia, Rebecca Donner, Eric Lach, and Ross Perlin, all of New York City, and Rachel Monroe of Austin were among those who received 2026–2027 Cullman Center Fellowships. They will each receive up to $90,000, an office in the Cullman Center at the New York Public Library, and full access to the library’s physical and electronic resources from September 2026 to May 2027. The annual fellowships are given to poets, fiction writers, creative nonfiction writers, translators, and scholars whose work will benefit directly from access to the research collections at the New York Public Library. (See Deadlines.)

New York Public Library, Cullman Center Fellowships, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, 476 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10018.
[email protected] nypl.org/csw

Ohio University Press

Hollis Summers Poetry Prize

Austin Allen of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, won the 2025 Hollis Summers Poetry Prize for Dissent. He received $1,000, and his book will be published by Ohio University Press in spring 2026. Michael Prior judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. The next deadline is December 31.

Ohio University Press, Hollis Summers Poetry Prize, 30 Park Place, Alden Library, Athens, OH 45701. Sally Welch, Acquisitions and Permissions Administrator.
[email protected] ohioswallow.com/poetry-prize

Only Poems

Leonard Cohen Poetry Prize

Jordan St. Hill of San Diego won the 2025 Leonard Cohen Poetry Prize for “Reliquary.” He received $1,000 and publication in Only Poems. The annual prize is given for a single poem that is in the spirit of Leonard Cohen and “deals in some way with the intersections of love, faith, and sex.” (See Deadlines.)

Only Poems, Leonard Cohen Poetry Prize, 206 Fandango Drive, Brampton, Ontario, Canada L6X 0M1. (214) 674-7757. Tara Mesalik MacMahon, Director of Outreach.
[email protected] onlypoems.com/leonard-cohen-poetry-prize

Passaic County Community College

Paterson Poetry Prize

Gregory Djanikian of Narberth, Pennsylvania, and Maria Giura of New York City won the 2026 Paterson Poetry Prize. Djanikian won for Nostalgia for the Future (Green Writers Press), and Giura won for If We Still Lived Where I Was Born (Bordighera Press). They each received $1,000. Christine Redman-Waldeyer judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection published in the previous year. The next deadline is February 1, 2027.

Passaic County Community College, Paterson Poetry Prize, Poetry Center, 1 College Boulevard, Paterson, NJ 07505. (973) 684-6555. Cynthia Pagan, Staff Assistant.
[email protected] poetrycenterpccc.com

Permafrost

Book Prize

Gail Hosking of Rochester, New York, won the 2025 Permafrost Book Prize for Dispatches. She received $1,000, and her novel will be published by University of Alaska Press in June 2027. Alison Hawthorne Deming judged. The annual award is given in alternating years for a book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction. The 2025 prize was given in nonfiction. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.

Permafrost, Book Prize, University of Alaska, English Department, P.O. Box 755720, Fairbanks, AK 99775. (907) 474-7193.

[email protected] permafrostmag.uaf.edu/contests

Ploughshares

Ashley Leigh Bourne Prize for Fiction

Juliana Lamy of South Florida won the eighth annual Ashley Leigh Bourne Prize for Fiction for “My Country Full of Thieves,” which appeared in the Summer 2025 issue of Ploughshares. She received $2,500. The editors judged. The annual award is given for a short story published in Ploughshares in the previous year. There is no application process.

Ploughshares, Emerson College, 120 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116. (617) 824-3757. Rachel Dillon, Managing Editor.
[email protected] pshares.org

Press 53

Award for Short Fiction

Ann Landi of Taos, New Mexico, won the 2026 Press 53 Award for Short Fiction for Bad Romance. She will receive $1,000, publication of her book by Press 53 in March 2027, and 53 author copies. Kevin Morgan Watson judged. The annual award is given for a story collection. The next deadline is December 31.

Press 53, Award for Short Fiction, 560 North Trade Street, Suite 103, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. (336) 770-5353. Kevin Morgan Watson, Publisher and Editor in Chief.
[email protected] press53.com/award-for-short-fiction

Pulitzer Prizes

Prizes in Books

Juliana Spahr of Berkely, California, won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize in poetry for Ars Poeticas (Wesleyan University Press). The finalists were Douglas Kearney of St. Paul for I Imagine I Been Science Fiction Always (Wave Books) and Patricia Smith of Pennington, New Jersey, for The Intentions of Thunder (Scribner); Camille T. Dungy, J. Michael Martinex, D.A. Powell, Tracy K. Smith, and Elizabeth Willis judged. Daniel Kraus of Chicago won the prize in fiction for Angel Down (Atria Books). The finalists were Katie Kitamura of New York City for Audition (Riverhead Books) and Torrey Peters of New York City and Vermont for Stag Dance: A Quartet (Random House); Victor LaValle, Rebecca Makkai, Mark McGurl, Elizabeth Strout, and David Treuer judged. Brian Goldstone of Atlanta won the prize in general nonfiction for There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America (Crown). The finalists were Haley Cohen Gilliland of New York for A Flower Traveled in My Blood: The Incredible True Story of the Grandmothers Who Fought to Find a Stolen Generation of Children (Avid Reader Press) and Kevin Sack of Charleston, South Carolina, for Mother Emanual: Two Centuries of Race, Resistance, and Forgiveness in One Charleston Church (Crown); Marcia Chatelain, Andrea Elliott, David Greenberg, David George Haskell, and Luis Alberto Urrea judged. Jill Lepore of Cambridge, Massachusetts, won the prize in history for We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution (Liveright). The finalists were Scott Anderson of Jersey City for King of Kings: The Iranian Revolution: A Story of Hubris, Delusion, and Catastrophic Miscalculation (Doubleday) and Bench Ansfield of Philadelphia for Born in Flames: The Business of Arson and the Remaking of the American City (Norton); Caroline Elkins, Ada Ferrer, Jacqueline Jones, Adrian R. Lewis, and John Wood Sweet judged. Amanda Vail of New York City won the prize in biography for Pride and Pleasure: The Schuyler Sisters in an Age of Revolution (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). The finalists were James McWilliams of Austin for The Life and Poetry of Frank Stanford (University of Arkansas Press) and Lance Richardson of Bennington, Vermont, for True Nature: The Pilgrimage of Peter Matthiessen (Pantheon); Marie Arana, Joseph Crespino, Jonathan Eig, Christopher McAuley, and Amy Reading judged. Yiyun Li of Princeton, New Jersey, won the prize in memoir or autobiography for Things in Nature Merely Grow (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). The finalists were Hala Alyan, Anelise Chen, and Sarah Chihaya, all of New York City, for Tell You When I’m Home (Avid Reader), Clam Down: A Metamorphosis (One World), and Bibliophobia (Random House), respectively; Hua Hsu, Kiese Laymon, Sabrina Orah Mark, Meghan O’Rourke, and Grace Talusan judged. The winners each received $15,000. The annual awards honor works of poetry, fiction, general nonfiction, U.S. history, biography, and memoir or autobiography by U.S. writers published in the United States during the previous year. (See Deadlines.)

Pulitzer Prizes, Prizes in Books, Columbia University, 709 Pulitzer Hall, 2950 Broadway, New York, NY 10027. (212) 854-3841.
[email protected] pulitzer.org

Robinson Jeffers Tor House Foundation

Poetry Prize

Stephen Ruffus of Salt Lake City won the 2026 Robinson Jeffers Tor House Poetry Prize for “Setting the Stone.” He received $1,000. Andrew Schelling judged. The annual award is given for a poem. The next deadline is March 15, 2027.

Robinson Jeffers Tor House Foundation, Poetry Prize, P.O. Box 223240, Carmel, CA 93922. (831) 624-1813. Elliot Ruchowitz-Roberts, Coordinator.
[email protected] torhouse.org

Story

Story Foundation Prize

Reema Rao of Chicago won the seventh annual Story Foundation Prize for “Shame Shame.” She received $1,500 and publication in the Summer 2026 issue of Story. Deesha Philyaw judged. The annual award is given for a short story. As of this writing, the prize is on hiatus.

Story, Story Foundation Prize, 312 E. Kelso Road, Columbus, OH 43202. (314) 614-8759. Michael Nye, Editor in Chief.
[email protected] storymagazine.org

Trustees of the Robert Frost Farm

Frost Farm Prize for Metrical Poetry

Carla Galdo of Lovettsville, Virginia, won the 17th annual Frost Farm Prize for Metrical Poetry for “The Absences Are Different.” She received $1,000; an invitation and a $400 honorarium to read at the Robert Frost Farm in Derry, New Hampshire; and a full scholarship to attend the Frost Farm Conference in Auburn, New Hampshire, in August. Ryan Wilson judged. The annual award is given for a single poem written in a metrical form. The next deadline is March 31, 2027.

Trustees of the Robert Frost Farm, Frost Farm Prize for Metrical Poetry, c/o Robert Crawford, 280 Candia Road, Chester, NH 03036.
[email protected] frostfarmpoetry.org/prize

University of North Texas

Rilke Prize

Cecily Parks of Austin won the 2026 Rilke Prize for The Seeds (Alice James Books). She received $10,000. The annual award is given for a poetry collection by a midcareer poet published in the previous year. The next deadline is November 30.

University of North Texas, Rilke Prize, English Department, 1155 Union Circle, #311307, Denton, TX 76203.
[email protected] class.unt.edu/english/creative-writing/unt-rilke-prize.html

University of North Texas Press

Vassar Miller Prize

Chelsea Woodard of Exeter, New Hampshire, won the 2026 Vassar Miller Prize for Lentic Systems. She received $1,000, and her book will be published by University of North Texas Press in April 2027. Karen An-hwei Lee judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. (See Deadlines.)

University of North Texas Press, Vassar Miller Prize, 1155 Union Circle, #311336, Denton, TX 76203. (940) 565-2142. Joseph Alderman, Marketing Manager.
[email protected] untpress.unt.edu/authors/vassar-miller-submissions

University of Southern Indiana

New Harmony Book Award & Residency

C. Mallon of Iowa City won the 2026 New Harmony Book Award & Residency for Dogs (Scribner). She received $2,000 and a $750 travel stipend for a seven-day residency at James A. Sanders Scholar’s Retreat in New Harmony, Indiana. Casey Pycior and University of Southern Indiana students judged. The annual award is given for a book of fiction published in the previous year. The next deadline is December 1.

University of Southern Indiana, New Harmony Book Award & Residency, 8600 University Boulevard, Evansville, IN 47712. (812) 228-5037. Casey Pycior, Coordinator.
[email protected] usi.edu/nhba

University of Utah Press

Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry

Caleb Nolen of Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, won the 2025 Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry for Afterlight. He received $1,000, publication of his book by University of Utah Press, and $500 in travel and lodging expenses to give a reading at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Jennifer Chang judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. The next deadline is April 15, 2027.

University of Utah Press, Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry, J. Willard Marriott Library, 295 South 1500 East, Suite 5400, Salt Lake City, UT 84112. Hannah K. New, Marketing Manager.
[email protected] uofupress.com/agha-shahid-ali-prize-in-poetry

Verse/Factory Hollow Press

Tomaž Šalamun Prize

Christine Kwon of New Orleans won the 2026 Tomaž Šalamun Prize for When Your Month Is Lonely. She received $1,000, and her chapbook will be published by Factory Hollow Press in spring 2027. She will also receive 10 author copies and a monthlong residency at the Tomaž Šalamun Centre for Poetry in Ljubljana. Additionally, her chapbook will be translated into Slovenian and published by the Republic of Slovenia Public Fund for Cultural Activities. Heather Christle judged. The annual award is given for a poetry chapbook. The next deadline is March 15, 2027.

Verse/Factory Hollow Press, Tomaž Šalamun Prize, University of Richmond, English Department, 106 UR Drive, Richmond, VA 23173. (804) 287-6431. Brian Henry, Editor.
[email protected] www.factoryhollowpress.com/tomaz-salamun-prize

WB Yeats Society of NY

Yeats Poetry Prize

Christopher Buckley of Santa Barbara, California, won the 2026 Yeats Poetry Prize for “Absente de ser pobre con los ricos.” He received $1,000, publication on the WB Yeats Society of NY website, a two-year membership to the organization, and an invitation to an awards ceremony in New York City in April. Joseph O. Legaspi judged. The annual award is given for a single poem. The next deadline is February 1, 2027.

WB Yeats Society of NY, Yeats Poetry Prize, National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South, New York, NY 10003. Andrew McGowan, President.
[email protected] yeatssociety.nyc

Zócalo Public Square

Book Prize

Anand Pandian of Baltimore won the 16th annual Zócalo Public Square Book Prize for Something Between Us: The Everyday Walls of American Life, and How to Take Them Down (Redwood Press). He received $10,000 and an invitation to speak at Zócalo Public Square’s Book Prize event in Los Angeles in June. Jean-Martin Bauer, Charles Fleming, Liliana Gamboa, Bill Gates, Jessie Kornberg, Sonal Shah, and Jody Agius Vallejo judged. The annual award is given for a book of nonfiction published in the United States in the previous year that “best enhances our understanding of community and the forces that strengthen or undermine human connectedness and social cohesion.” As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.

Poetry Prize

Deborah Ager of Bethesda, Maryland, won the 15th annual Zócalo Public Square Poetry Prize for “Letter From Indialantic.” She received $1,000, and an invitation to read at Zócalo Public Square’s Poetry Prize event in Los Angeles in June. Sheila Black, Jennifer Blackledge, Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, and Connie Voisine judged. The annual award is given for a single poem that “best evokes a connection to place.” As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.

Zócalo Public Square, 1111 South Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90015.
[email protected] zocalopublicsquare.org