The Annual Asian American Literary Awards honor Asian American writers for excellence in three categories: (1) fiction,(2) poetry, and (3) nonfiction. Literary awards recipients are determined by a national panel of judges who are selected on the basis of expertise in a literary genre and/or experience in academic environments relevant to Asian American literature; residence in the U.S. and ethnic background as to create a diverse committee.
To qualify for our next award, a work must have been written by an individual of Asian descent living in the United States and published originally in English during the calendar year preceding the award year (for example, works published in 2013 are eligible for the 2014 Literary Awards). No self-published works will be considered. Award submissions are accepted in spring, with award recipients announced in the Fall, and publicly presented during our Spring awards ceremony and literary festival.
Lifetime Achievement Award. The Workshop has also recognized notable writers and cultural figures for their contribution to Asian American literature through a lifetime achievement award. Past winners of this award include Jessica Hagedorn, Maxine Hong Kingston, David Henry Hwang, and Sonny Mehta.
Members’ Choice Award. The Asian American Literary Awards Ceremony also features the Members’ Choice Award. Initiated in 2000, the Members’ Choice Award allows Workshop members to choose their favorite title of the previous publishing year. In order to participate in voting for this award, you must be a current member of The Asian American Writers’ Workshop. Titles may only be eligible for consideration of Members’ Choice Award if they have been entered in the Annual Asian American Literary Awards in one of the three categories above.
Applications for the upcoming Seventeenth Annual Asian American Literary Awards are due February 21st, 2014.* Please view the guidelines and fill out the application to apply. *Please note: The deadline has been extended to March 14th, 2014.
Entry fee. A $100.00 entry fee must accompany each separate entry. Checks should be made payable to “The Asian American Writers’ Workshop.” In the event that a participant cannot pay this fee, a waiver may be granted upon approval. Participants may also pay the entry fee electronically by clicking the PayPal icon below. *Note: The link below is only for payments for the 17th Asian American Literary Awards (titles published in 2013).