Alaska Literary Awards

The Alaska Literary Awards were established in 2014 by the Alaska Arts and Culture Foundation through a gift from Peggy Shumaker and Joe Usibelli. The awards are made through the Alaska Arts and Culture Foundation and administered by the Alaska State Council on the Arts. The program recognizes and supports Alaska writers working in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, playwriting, screenwriting, and mixed genres. The program is intended to support literary artists and further the development of their literary careers. A select number of awards are made annually, with each selected writer receiving 5000 dollars. Participation is limited to individual literary artists living in Alaska who pursue their art form on an ongoing basis. An applicant must be a legal resident of Alaska, be at least 18 years old, and apply as an individual artist rather than as a collaborative group or team. Applicants may not be full time students and may not be enrolled in an art related degree or certification program. Individuals who have previously received an Alaska Literary Award are not eligible. Recipients must maintain Alaska residency throughout the fellowship year. The award supports the recipient's literary work without restrictions on how the award funds may be used. The detailed fellowship requirements state that recipients must expend the fellowship funds by December 31, 2027 and maintain Alaska residency throughout the fellowship year. They also state that recipients must provide the Alaska Arts and Culture Foundation with a brief report by December 31, 2027 describing how the award supported their work. Elsewhere, the program description states that no formal report is required, so the detailed fellowship requirement is the more specific instruction for recipients. No matching or cost share requirement is stated. The source also advises recipients to contact their local IRS office for information regarding possible tax implications. Applicants must complete and submit their application through the CaFE system. Required application material includes a brief description of how the Alaska Literary Award will advance the applicant's writing career, a current resume or brief CV, an indication of the genre represented by the writing sample, and the required work sample. Work samples should represent work completed within the last two years and may be published or unpublished. All samples must be combined into one Word document or PDF file, must include the applicant's name on the first page, and must be uploaded directly within the Alaska Literary Awards application rather than through the CaFE My Portfolio section. Poets may submit up to 15 pages of poetry; prose writers may submit up to 15 pages of fiction or creative nonfiction; playwrights and screenwriters may submit up to 15 pages of one script or multiple brief scripts; and mixed genre writers may submit up to 15 pages of literary writing. Alaska State Council on the Arts staff first review applications for completeness. Qualified applications are then reviewed by a panel composed of writers in the disciplines being awarded. Review focuses on the literary quality demonstrated by the submitted work samples, the level of demonstrated artistic activity and focus described in the applicant's resume, and the extent to which the award will further development of the applicant's literary career. Quality of the submitted work is identified as the primary consideration in determining award recipients. The panel's decision is final. The application period opens June 18, 2026 and closes August 17, 2026. The funder's Alaska Arts and Culture Foundation page gives the deadline as August 17, 2026 at 9:59 PM Alaska Time. The supplied Creative West material contains both 9:59 PM and 11:59 PM references for the same deadline; the funder's own page and the detailed guideline language support 9:59 PM Alaska Time. Award recipients are expected to be notified by October 30, 2026. Because the awards are explicitly described as annual, the program is recurring. Questions concerning eligibility or application preparation may be directed to the Alaska State Council on the Arts at asca.info@alaska.gov or 907-269-6610. Recipients must expend fellowship funds and provide the required brief report by December 31, 2027.

Prioritize the literary quality of the submitted work because it is the primary consideration in award decisions. Use the resume or CV to demonstrate sustained artistic activity and focus. Clearly explain how the award will further development of the applicant's literary career. Submit work completed within the last two years and carefully follow work sample formatting requirements. Review the application for completeness before submission because ASCA staff conduct an initial completeness review.