Southern Prize for Literature

About this program

South Arts offers the Southern Prize for Literature to support writers developing book-length literary manuscripts, with one $25,000 unrestricted fellowship and two $10,000 runner-up awards. Funds may support writing time, research, workspace and equipment, travel, and professional services, and manuscript completion or publication is not required. Applicants must be at least 18, full-time residents of South Arts’ nine-state region, not enrolled in a degree-granting program, and the sole author of an original work in the research or creation stage. Applications open August 12, 2026, and are due October 7, 2026, including a project description, statement of intent, and work sample of up to 5,000 words.