The New Literary Project has revealed the longlist for the 2026 Joyce Carol Oates Prize, given annually to “a mid-career author of fiction in the midst of a burgeoning career, a distinguished writer who has emerged and is still emerging.”
Among the 28 authors making the list are Marie-Helene Bertino (Exit Zero), Lily King (Heart the Lover), Katie Kitamura (Audition), Bryan Washington (Palaver), Gabriel Tallent (Crux), Patricia Lockwood (Will There Ever Be Another You), Rebecca Makkai (I Have Some Questions for You), and Danzy Senna (Colored Television).
Matt Bondurant (The Night Swimmer) was nominated for the prize, alongside Elaine Castillo (Moderation), Nathan Harris (Amity), Jonas Hassen Khemiri (The Sisters), Binnie Kirshenbaum (Counting Backwards), Erika Krouse (Save Me, Stranger), Norman Lock (Eden’s Clock), Stewart O’Nan (Evensong), Peter Orner (The Gossip Columnist’s Daughter), and Lori Ostlund (Are You Happy?).
Also making the list were Hannah Pittard (If You Love It, Let It Kill You), Andrew Porter (The Imagined Life), Eric Puchner (Dream State), Jamie Quatro (Two-Step Devil), Patrick Ryan (Buckeye), Gary Shteyngart (Vera, Or Faith), Joan Silber (Mercy), Marisa Silver (At Last), Susan Straight (Sacrament), and Alejandro Varela (Middle Spoon).
The Joyce Carol Oates Prize, named after the prolific American author, was first awarded in 2017. Previous winners include Laila Lalami (The Dream Hotel), Manuel Muñoz (The Consequences), and Jennine Capó Crucet (Say Hello to My Little Friend).
The shortlist for the prize will be announced in March 2026, with the winner revealed the following month.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
