2026 Aspen Words Literary Prize Winner Announcement & Finalists in Conversation with Elisabeth Egan 

Thursday, April 23rd • 8:30 pm ET | 6:30 pm MT

Congratulations to the five extraordinary works of fiction shortlisted for the 2026 Aspen Words Literary Prize:

 – “The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother)” by Rabih Alameddine (Grove Press)
– “Intemperance” by Sonora Jha (HarperVia)
– “Wild Dark Shore” by Charlotte McConaghy (Flatiron Books)
– “Endling” by Maria Reva (Doubleday)
– “So Far Gone” by Jess Walter (Harper)

The 2026 shortlisted titles address a broad range of important contemporary social issues.

The finalists were selected by a five-member jury comprised of Héctor Tobar, Imbolo Mbue, Jamil Jan Kochai, Kate Bowler, and Michael Cader.

Please join us virtually for a livestreamed conversation with the finalist authors, moderated by Elisabeth Egan.

Thursday, April 23 | 8:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. MT)

About the Aspen Words Literary Prize

The Aspen Words Literary Prize is a $35,000 annual award for an influential work of fiction that illuminates a vital contemporary issue and demonstrates the transformative power of literature on thought and culture.

Open to authors of any nationality, the award is one of the largest literary prizes in the United States, and one of the few focused exclusively on fiction with a social impact. Past winners include Mohsin Hamid (2018 for “Exit West”), Tayari Jones (2019 for “An American Marriage”), Christy Lefteri (2020 for “The Beekeeper of Aleppo”), Louise Erdrich (2021 for “The Night Watchman”), Dawnie Walton (2022 for “The Final Revival of Opal & Nev”), Jamil Jan Kochai (2023 for “The Haunting of Hajji Hotak”), Isabella Hammad (2024 for “Enter Ghost”), and Tommy Orange (2025 “Wandering Stars”). Eligible works include novels or short story collections that address questions of violence, inequality, gender, the environment, immigration, religion, race or other social issues.