This year, ten promising writers of poetry, nonfiction, fiction, plays each received $50,000 from the Whiting Foundation. For playwriting, Danai Gurira, Samuel D. Hunter, Mona Mansour, and Meg Miroshnik received the honor; for fiction, Alan Heathcock, Anthony Marra, and Hanna Pylväinen; for poetry, Ciaran Berry and Atsuro Riley; and for nonfiction, Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts.

The annual prize is intended for emerging writers who show extraordinary promise and, according to the Whiting Foundation website, who “have yet to make their mark in literary culture…. the writers may not necessarily be young, [though] the grant ideally offers recipients a first opportunity to devote themselves fully to writing.” From approximately 90 to 100 nominations per year, up to ten awards are given out. Nominations are made by selected literary professionals throughout the country. Nominators include writers, teachers, editors, agents, critics, bookstore owners, and more.

For more information about the Whiting Foundation, current and past recipients, and the speech delivered by Jeffrey Eugenides to this year’s winners, visit http://www.whitingfoundation.org/programs/whiting_writers_awards/this_years_winners/