Alaska State Council on the Arts: 2015 Alaska Literary Awards

The Alaska Literary Awards recognize and support writers of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, playwriting, screenwriting, and mixed genres. The awards were established in 2014 by the Alaska Arts and Culture Foundation through a generous gift from Peggy Shumaker and Joe Usibelli. A select number of $5,000 awards will be awarded annually.

Eligibility is limited to literary artists living in Alaska and pursuing their art form on an ongoing basis. Applicants must be legal residents of Alaska, 18 years of age or older, and not be full-time students or enrolled in any art-related degree or certification program. Applications must be submitted as individual artists, not collaborative groups or teams. Quality of the work submitted is the primary consideration in determining award recipients. There are no restrictions on the writer's use of the award and no formal report is required.

Applications are reviewed by a panel comprised of writers in the disciplines being awarded, using the following criteria: literary quality of the applicant's work as demonstrated in submitted work samples; the level of demonstrated artistic activity and focus as described in the applicant's resume; and the extent to which the award will further the development of the applicant's literary career. Award recipients will be notified by November 1, 2015. Recipients must expend fellowship funds by June 30, 2016, maintain Alaska residency throughout the fellowship year, and provide a letter to the Alaska Arts and Culture Foundation at the end of the award year describing how the award supported their work.

Work samples should reflect work completed within the last two years and must be combined into one Word document or PDF file with the applicant's name on the first page. Poets may submit up to 10 poems; prose writers up to 15 pages of fiction or creative nonfiction; playwrights/screenwriters up to 15 pages of one script or multiple brief scripts; and mixed genre writers up to 15 pages of literary writing. Published or unpublished work samples are accepted. For questions regarding eligibility or application preparation, contact the Alaska State Council on the Arts at (907) 269-6610 or [email protected].