Aspen Words

A prize of $35,000 will be given annually for a book of fiction published in the current year that “illuminates a vital contemporary issue and demonstrates the transformative power of literature on thought and culture.” The winner will also receive an all-expenses-paid trip to attend the 2018 Aspen Words Summer Benefit in Aspen, Colorado, as a featured speaker and guest of honor. Novels, story collections, and translations of books of fiction published by a U.S. publisher in 2017 are eligible. Stephen L. Carter, Jessica Fullerton, Phil Klay, Alondra Nelson, and Akhil Sharma will judge. Publishers may submit the required entry form with a $30 entry fee by August 1, and five copies of a book (or bound galleys) by September 1. There is no entry fee for presses whose annual net sales are less than $4 million. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.