Association of Writers and Writing Programs 2026 Annual Meeting—Baltimore, MD, March 4-7
Welcome / Calls for Submissions
Visit us at booth 973 to purchase, or use code OSUAWP at checkout for 30% off and Free US Shipping
Welcome to the virtual booth for the Association of Writers and Writing Programs conference for The Ohio State University Press and our literary imprint, Mad Creek Books. Mad Creek, publisher of the 2023 National Book Critics Circle Finalist I Would Meet You Anywhere and the 2020 National Book Award Finalist How to Make a Slave and Other Essays, is a home for artistic, daring, and innovative books, with the goal of representing the true diversity of writers working today.
Each year, The Gournay Prize awards $1000 and publication in the 21st Century Essays series to a first book of essays. Writers may have published books previously in other genres. Translations are not eligible.
- Submission window: March 1–April 30
- View full guidelines and submit your manuscript
Each year, The AWP Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction awards $5,500 and publication on Mad Creek Books to a collection of short fiction between 150-300 manuscript pages long. This year’s judge is Weike Wang. Weike Wang is the author of Chemistry (Knopf, 2017), Joan Is Okay (Random House, 2022), and Rental House (Riverhead, 2024). She is the recipient of a PEN/Hemingway Award, a Whiting Award, and a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Harper’s Magazine, and The Best American Short Stories and has won an O. Henry Prize. She earned her MFA from Boston University and her other degrees from Harvard. She currently lives in New York City and teaches at the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, Barnard College, and Boston University.
- Submission window: January 1–February 28
- View full guidelines and submit your manuscript
The Journal Non/Fiction Prize is awarded annually to a book-length collection of short stories, essays, or a combination of the two. The winner receives $1500 and publication by The Ohio State University Press
- The 2026 submissions window closes April 15th.
- View The Journal Submittable page
Series: 21st Century Essays • Machete • Latinographix
What she’s looking for: “I’m actively seeking books of nonfiction for our Mad Creek book series. I’m especially interested in manuscripts that complicate notions of or explore new ideas around identity, family, culture, borders, race, religion, history, gender, neurodiversity, and the Midwest. I welcome all forms of nonfiction (essay, memoir, reportage, literary journalism, short shorts, to name just a few) and graphic novels/memoirs (for our Latinographix series).”
If you are unable to connect with her at AWP, email queries are welcome, but all materials should come through our Submittable account.
Email Kristen: eliasrowley.1@osu.edu