Yale University on April 8 announced the eight recipients of the 2026 Windham-Campbell Prizes, one of the world's most significant international literary awards. Honored for their literary achievement or promise, the recipients have created works that examine intimacy, identity, absurdity, and truth.
The recipients are, in fiction, Gwendoline Riley (United Kingdom) and Adam Ehrlich Sachs (United States); in nonfiction, Lucy Sante (United States/Belgium) and Kei Miller (Jamaica); in drama, Christina Anderson (United States) and S. Shakthidharan (Australia/Sri Lanka); and in poetry, Joyelle McSweeney (United States) and Karen Solie (Canada).
Each will receive $175,000 to support their work.
Nominated confidentially and judged anonymously, the recipients did not know they were under consideration until Michael Kelleher, director of the Windham-Campbell Prizes, personally delivered the news of their selection in mid-February.
"The late Donald Windham established these prizes to call attention to literary achievement across writing disciplines and provide writers with the time, space, and freedom to work," Kelleher said. "In this challenging time for the arts, it is an honor to celebrate this year's recipients and ensure that the world will continue to enjoy their creativity and insights for many years to come."
The awards will be presented in person in the fall during an annual international literary festival at Yale.
The prizes were established in 2013 through a gift from writer Donald Windham in memory of Sandy Campbell, his partner of 40 years. Administered by the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, part of Yale Library, they are conferred annually to writers working in English anywhere in the world in fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry. Writers can be awarded the prize during any stage of their careers. To date, 115 writers from 24 countries have received the prize.
