Norfolk, VA — The Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 AWP Award Series, an annual competition for the publication of excellent new book-length works. The prizes are supported by the AWP Award Series Endowments. The competition is open to all authors writing in English, regardless of nationality or residence, and is available to published and unpublished authors alike.
The AWP Award Series includes four categories: poetry, creative nonfiction, the novel, and short fiction. The winner of each category receives prize money and publication of their manuscript by a participating press. The 2025 winners are as follows:
The Sue William Silverman Prize for Creative Nonfiction: Brittany Perham, Executrix, University of Georgia Press, selected by Cheryl Strayed
The James Alan McPherson Prize for the Novel: Chital Mehta, Have You Seen Romit?, University of Nebraska Press, selected by R. O. Kwon
The Donald Hall Prize for Poetry: John Bonanni, retrovirology, University of Pittsburgh Press, selected by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
The Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction: Adam Peterson, Gospels, Mad Creek Books/The Ohio State University Press, selected by Kevin Wilson
The 2025 winners will be featured at the 2027 AWP Conference & Bookfair for a reading and celebration. AWP congratulates this year’s winners and thanks the judges and screeners who contributed their time and effort. We look forward to celebrating them at #AWP27. Interested in supporting the AWP Award Series? Donations can be made to support the AWP Award Series Endowments on our website.