Asian American Literary Awards

あじあんあめりかんぶんがくしょう

Annual awards by the Asian American Writers' Workshop honoring excellence in fiction, poetry and nonfiction by Asian American authors.

FictionPoetryNonfictionMembers' ChoiceLifetime Achievement

Established: 1998
Organizer: Asian American Writers' Workshop
Category: Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
Selection Method: Open call
Target: Open
Frequency: 1 per year
Status: Active

Description

The Asian American Literary Awards have been presented annually by the Asian American Writers' Workshop since 1998. The program includes honors for excellence in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction (selected by a panel of literary and academic judges), a Members' Choice Award (voted by Workshop members from that year's entries), and a Lifetime Achievement Award. Eligibility requires the author to be of Asian descent, living in the United States, and the book to be first published in English; entries are actively solicited by the Workshop.

Prize

Main Prize: Honors in fiction, poetry and nonfiction; Members' Choice Award; Lifetime Achievement Award.

Selection

Selection Process

Stage	Judges	Pass Rate	Announcement
Main awards (Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction)	Panel of literary and academic judges convened by the Asian American Writers' Workshop	—	Winners announced annually (listed by year)
Members' Choice Award	Voted on by members of the Asian American Writers' Workshop from that year's entries	—	Announced annually alongside the main awards
Lifetime Achievement Award	Selected by the Workshop (selection committee)	—	Awarded and announced in selected years

Main awards (Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction)

Judges Panel of literary and academic judges convened by the Asian American Writers' Workshop

Announcement Winners announced annually (listed by year)

Members' Choice Award

Judges Voted on by members of the Asian American Writers' Workshop from that year's entries

Announcement Announced annually alongside the main awards

Lifetime Achievement Award

Judges Selected by the Workshop (selection committee)

Announcement Awarded and announced in selected years

Criteria

Author must be of Asian descent and living in the United States
Book must be first published in English
Selection based on excellence in literary quality as determined by the judging panel

Application Tips

Dos

Always check the entry requirements (author must be of Asian descent and living in the US, first published in English)
Accurately prepare application documents and information such as publisher and publication date
Proofread the manuscript and metadata and format properly before submission
Follow AAWW's official guidelines to confirm deadlines and submission methods

Don''ts

Do not submit works that do not meet the eligibility criteria
Do not incorrectly list publication information
Do not send incomplete application documents

From Judges

Emphasis is placed on mastery of language expression, originality, and consistent engagement with the theme
Demonstrate uniqueness in the work's structure, voice, and theme