alaska literary awards 2026

The Alaska Literary Awards were established in 2014 by the Alaska Arts and Culture Foundation, through a generous gift from Peggy Shumaker and Joe Usibelli.

The Alaska Literary Awards recognize and support writers of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, playwriting, screenwriting, and mixed genres. A select number of $5,000 awards will be awarded annually.

Review Criteria
A panel will review applications using the following criteria:

• Literary quality of the applicant’s work, as demonstrated in the submitted work samples

• The level of demonstrated artistic activity and focus as described in the applicant’s resume

• The extent to which the award will further the development of the applicant’s literary career