The winners of the 2026 Whiting Awards have been revealed, with 10 writers recognized for “early accomplishment and the promise of great work to come.”
Three fiction authors were honored with the awards: Elaine Castillo, author of the novels America Is Not the Heart and Moderation; Hilary Leichter, whose novels include Temporary and Terrace Story; and Lara Mimosa Montes, whose The Time of the Novel was published last year.
The nonfiction writers winning the prizes were essayist and critic Negar Azimi; Karen Hao, author of the National Book Critics Circle Award–winning Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman’s OpenAI; and Carvell Wallace, author of the memoir Another Word for Love, a finalist for the Kirkus Prize.
The poets recognized with the awards were Hajar Hussaini (Disbound), Brittany Rogers (Good Dress), and Alison C. Rollins (Black Bell), while one screenwriter, Celine Song (Materialists), was honored with a prize for drama.
“We hope to identify exceptional new writers who are just making their mark in the literary culture,” the Whiting Foundation says. “Though the writers may not necessarily be young (talent may emerge at any age), the grant ideally offers recipients a first opportunity to devote themselves fully to writing, and the recognition has a significant impact.”
The Whiting Awards, which come with cash prizes of $50,000 for each winner, were established in 1985. Previous winners include Jorie Graham, David Foster Wallace, Li-Young Lee, Sarah Shun-lien Bynum, Esmé Weijun Wang, Megha Majumdar, and Caribbean Fragoza.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
