McKnight

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Award is closed for applications
McKnight Writers Fellowships Administered by the Loft

One $25,000 fellowship is awarded each year in children’s literature, including poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction. This year’s award is offered to a writer for children under 8 years of age. 

Four $25,000 fellowships are offered in alternating years to writers of creative prose and poetry/spoken word. The 2024 year cycle is in poetry/spoken word.

The Loft administers the McKnight Writers Fellowships. Five $25,000 awards are presented annually to accomplished Minnesota writers and spoken word artists. Four awards alternate annually between creative prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) and poetry/spoken word. The fifth award is presented in children’s literature and alternates annually between writing for ages under eight years old and writing for children eight years and older.

Please contact program manager of awards, Marion Gómez at [email protected] with any questions.

Deadline to apply was Dec 11, 2023. 

McKnight Fellows 2023
Congratulations 2023 McKnight Fellows!

The Loft Literary Center is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2023 McKnight Writers Fellowships, Loft Awards in Creative Prose and Loft Award in Children's Literature (Older Children). The fellowships are judged by prominent American authors and editors, and the winners, all from Minnesota, are awarded $25,000 each. The judges this year were Alexander Chee in creative prose and Aida Salazar in children’s literature.

The Loft received 44 qualified applications in children’s literature and 87 qualified applications in creative prose. This year’s recipients are children’s writer Art Coulson (Apple Valley) and creative prose writers Naomi Cohn (Saint Paul), Gen Del Raye (Minneapolis), Hilal Isler (Saint Paul), and Kao Kalia Yang (Saint Paul).

Read the full linked press release. 

McKnight Writers Fellowships Administered by the Loft

Founded on the belief that Minnesota thrives when its artists and culture bearers thrive, the McKnight Foundation’s arts and culture program is one of the oldest and largest of its kind in the country. Support for individual working Minnesota artists and culture bearers has been a cornerstone of the program since it began in 1982. The McKnight Artist & Culture Bearer Fellowships Program provides annual, unrestricted cash awards to outstanding mid-career Minnesota artists in 15 different creative disciplines. Program partner organizations administer the fellowships and structure them to respond to the unique challenges of different disciplines. Currently, the foundation contributes about $2.8 million per year to its statewide fellowships. For more information, visit mcknight.org/artistfellowships.

The McKnight Foundation, a Minnesota-based family foundation, advances a more just, creative, and abundant future where people and planet thrive. Established in 1953, the McKnight Foundation is deeply committed to advancing climate solutions in the Midwest; building an equitable and inclusive Minnesota; and supporting the arts and culture in Minnesota, neuroscience, and global food systems.

McKnight Writers Fellowships Through the Years

The McKnight Foundation has partnered with the Loft since 1982 to administer some version of the McKnight Writers Fellowships. Here is a list of the judges and fellows throughout those years.  

1982

Poetry

Fellows: Robert Bly, Marisha Chamberlain, Michael Moos, William Meissner
Judges:  [Maura Stanton, Harold Jaffe, Al Young], Linda Pastan, William Stafford  

Prose

Fellows: Patricia Hampl, Susan Allen Toth, Susan Welch, Robert Williams
Judges: [Maura Stanton, Harold Jaffe, Al Young], Elizabeth Hardwick, Robley Wilson, Jr.

1983

Poetry

Fellows: John Engman, Kate Green, Sheryl Noethe, Susan Marie Swanson
Judges: Joy Harjo, Gwen Head, Carolyn Forche, Kenneth Koch

Prose

Fellows: Emilio DeGrazia, Ellen Hawley, Lynn Levine, Stephen Rosen
Judges: Dianne Benedict, James Alan McPherson, Alice Adams, Tobias Wolff

1984

Poetry

Fellows: Philip Dacey, Howard Mohr, David Mura, Catherine Stearns
Judges: Maggie Anderson, Ted Kooser, Donald Hall

Prose

Fellows: Sam Avery, Ruth Hammond, Robert Lacy, Brenda Graves
Judges: Elizabeth Arthur, Tomas Rivera, James Atlas

1985

Poetry

Fellows: David Brunet, Margaret Hasse, Jim Moore, Warren Woessner
Judges: Faye Kicknosway, Nicholas Christopher, June Jordan

Prose

Fellows: Jill Breckenridge, Rick Christman, Steven Polansky, Will Weaver
Judges: Moira Crone, Scott Russell Sanders, Rudolfo Anaya

1986

Poetry

Fellows: Michael Dennis Browne, Roseann Lloyd, Sheila Packa, John Reinhard
Judges: Marilyn Waniek, Judith Minty, Michael Harper

Prose

Fellows: Paulette Bates Alden, Julie Landsman, John Minczeski, Lynna Williams
Judges: David Long, Susan Mernit, Penelope Gilliatt

1987

Poetry

Fellows: John Caddy, Louis Jenkins, Barton Sutter, Cary Waterman
Judges: Christianne Balk, Ronald Wallace, Clarence Major

Prose

Fellows: Jonis Agee, Robert Cowgill, Vicky Lettman, James Thornton
Judges: Patricia Henley, Joyce Kornblatt, Clark Blaise

1988

Poetry

Fellows: Candace Black, Florence Dacey, Kathy Houser, Patricia Kirkpatrick
Judges: Naomi Shihab Nye, John Engels

Prose

Fellows: Sandra Benitez, Michael Chauss, Anne Farrer Scott, Frank Wilderson, III
Judges: Ishmael Reed, Mary Lee Settle

Awards of Distinction: Poetry

Joe Paddock, Cary Waterman
Judge: Norman Dubie

1989

Poetry

Fellows: Beverly Acuff Momoi, Sheila O'Connor, David Pink, Francine Sterle
Judges: Alberto Rios, Marilyn Hacker

Prose

Fellows: Ron Banet, Christian Davis, Tricia Baatz, Peter Wykes
Judges: Stanley Crouch, Josephine Humphreys

Awards of Distinction: Prose

Joseph Maiolo, Bill Meissner
Judge: Peter Taylor

1990

Poetry

Fellows: Jerry Hansen, Judith Hougen, Teresa Whitman, Morgan Grayce Willow
Judges: Nellie Wong, Haki Madhubuti

Prose

Fellows: Peter Bobbe, Daniel Gabriel, Judith Katz, Carol Masters
Judges: Sherley Anne Williams, Richard Elman

Awards of Distinction: Poetry

Deborah Keenan, Roseann Lloyd
Judge: Nikki Giovanni

1991

Poetry

Fellows: Alvin Greenberg, Yarrow Morgan, Kathleen Patrick
Judges: Dabney Stuart, Irena Kepfisz

Prose

Fellows: Evangeline Braaten, Emily Carter, P.S. Davies, Jack El-Hai, Harold Grey
Judges: Eugene B. Redmond, Valerie Miner

Awards of Distinction: Prose

Jonis Agee, Lon Otto
Judge: Peter Meinke

1992

Poetry

Fellows: Melanie Cockrell, Maureen Gibbon, Kathleen Heideman
Judges: Garrett Hongo, Dborah Pintonelli

Prose

Fellows: David Bengston, Jim Goralski, Martha Roth, Gregory Blake Smith, Brian West
Judges: Bradford Morrow, Shay Youngblood

Awards of Distinction: Poetry

David Mura, Monica Ochtrup
Judge: Miguel Algarin

1993

Poetry

Fellows: Edward Micus, Leslie Adrienne Miller, J.P. White
Judges: Martin Espada, Marilyn Waniek

Prose

Fellows: Pat Francisco, Michael Hatem, Elizabeth Mische John, Kathy Lewis, Nancy Meyer
Judges: Lewis Buzbee, Alison Moore

Awards of Distinction: Prose

Sandra Benitez, Mary Rockcastle
Judge: Clarence Major

1994

Poetry

Fellows: Michael Bonacci, Ana Ortiz de Montellano, Edith Rylander
Judges: Beth Brant, Ken McClane

Prose

Fellows: Karen Me Kyung Muckenhirn, Barrie Borich, Mary Petrie, Jessica Roeder, Mark Ryan
Judges: Abraham Rodriguez, Jr., Ron Rindo

Awards of Distinction: Poetry

Patricia Barone, Alvin Greenberg
Judge: Marilyn Hacker

1995

Poetry

Fellows: Elizabeth Mische, Thom Tammaro, Katharine Whitcomb-Nelson
Judges: Jane Hirshfield, Michael Warr

Prose

Fellows: E.J. Levy, Lynda McDonnell, Emily Meier, Lawrence Sutin, Richard Solly
Judges: John Mort, Debra Spark

Awards of Distinction: Prose

Alan Davis, Margaret Miles
Judge: Susanna Moore

1996

Poetry

Fellows: Glenn Freeman, River Karner, Marilyn Magee
Judges: Dorianne Laux and Adrian Louis

Prose

Fellows: Carolyn Colburn, Lorna Landvik, Alison McGhee, Sheila Packa, Debra Quaal
Judges: Michael Datcher and Sarah Schulman

Awards of Distinction:  Poetry

John Engman, J.P. White
Judge: Yusef Komunyakaa

1997

$10,000 Loft Award in Poetry

Fellows: Janet Holmes, Rick Robbins
Judges: Bruce Bennett and Mei-Mei Berssenbrugge

$10,000 Loft Award in Creative Prose

Fellows: Eileen Hunter, Sarah Stonich, Beth Weatherby
Judges: Chitra Divakaruni and John Haines

$20,000 Loft Awards of Distinction: Prose

Fellows: Barrie Borich and Pat Francisco
Judge: Rosellen Brown

1998

$10,000 Loft Award in Poetry

Fellows: Stephanie Weller Hanson, Amy Jo Swing
Judges: Amy Gerstler and Jaime Manrique

$10,000 Loft Award in Creative Prose

Fellows: Kate DiCamillo, William Krueger, David Mura
Judges: David Low and Beth Nugent

$20,000 Loft Awards of Distinction: Poetry

Leslie Adrienne Miller and John Reinhard
Judge: Alice Fulton

1999

$10,000 Loft Award in Poetry

Fellows: Carlen Arnett and John O’Brien
Judges: Carl Phillips and Stephanie Strickland

$10,000 Loft Award in Creative Prose

Fellows: Maureen Gibbon, Marc Nieson, Mary Winstead
Judges: Francisco Goldman and Judith Kitchen

$20,000 Loft Awards of Distinction: Creative Prose

Diane Glancy and Lorna Landvik
Judge: Richard Rodriguez

2000

$10,000 Loft Award in Poetry

Fellows: Kate Lynn Hibbard and Jennifer Willoughby
Judges: E. Ethelbert Miller and Cathy Song
Honorable Mentions: Roger Sheffer and Richard Solly

$10,000 Loft Award in Creative Prose

Fellows: Gary Eldon Peter, Beverly Baranowski Rollwagen, Julie Schumacher
Judges: Paul Lisicky and A.J. Verdelle
Honorable Mentions: Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew and Lisa Zhang Warton

$20,000 Loft Awards of Distinction: Poetry

Robert Hedin and Richard Robbins
Judge: Quincy Troupe
Honorable Mentions: Glenn Freeman and Jude Nutter

2001

$25,000 Loft Awards in Creative Prose

Fellows: Judith Katz, Mary Rose O’Reilley, Martha Roth, John Salter
Judge: Dorothy Allison 
Honorable Mentions: Dale Gregory Anderson, Michael Kiesow Moore, Judith Niemi

$25,000 Loft Award in Children’s Literature

Fellow: Kate Di Camillo
Judge: Emma K Dryden
Honorable Mentions: Marion Dane Bauer, Lindsay Lee Johnson, Phyllis Root

2002

$25,000 Loft Awards in Poetry

Fellows: Stephen Burt, Ray Gonzalez, Jim Moore, Joyce Sutphen
Judge: Rachel Hadas
Honorable Mentions: John Colburn, Robert C. Grunst, G.E. Patterson, Joanna Rawson

$25,000 Loft Award in Children’s Literature/Younger Children

Fellow: Susan Marie Swanson
Judge: Melanie Kroupa
Honorable Mentions: Mary Casanova, Marsha Wilson Chall, Wendy McCormick, Phyllis Root

2003

$25,000 Loft Awards in Creative Prose

Fellows: JoAnn Bren Guernsey, Kevin McColley, Steven Polansky, Linda Lightsey Rice
Judge: Clarence Major
Honorable Mentions: Maureen Aitken, Dale Gregory Anderson, Kevin Langton, Anthony Schmitz

$25,000 Loft Award in Children’s Literature/Older Children

Fellow: Laurel Winter
Judge: Alix Reid
Honorable Mentions: Catherine Clark, John Coy, Marsha Qualey

2004

$25,000 Loft Awards in Poetry 

Fellows: Mark Conway, Dana Curtis, Dobby Gibson, Susan McLean 
Judge: Li-Young Lee
Honorable Mentions: Cullen Bailey Burns, David Mura, Kevin O’Rourke

$25,000 Loft Award in Children’s Literature/Younger Children

Fellow: Janet Graber
Judge: Christy Ottaviano

2005

$25,000 Loft Awards in Creative Prose

Fellows: Margaret Todd Maitland, Valerie Miner, Dara Moskowitz, Jane Jeong Trenka
Judge: Denise Chávez
Honorable Mentions: Sandra Benítez, Heid Erdrich, Cheri Johnson, Julie Landsman, Mary Carroll Moore, Katy Reed, Suzanne Rivecca, Kipp Wessel, Bonnie Smith-Yackel

$25,000 Loft Award in Children’s Literature/Older Children

Fellow: Ann Ylviskar
Judge: Caitlin Dlouhy
Honorable Mentions: Mary Lou Brooks, Sharon Chmielarz, Pete Hautman, Laura Purdie Salas, Will Weaver

2006

$25,000 Loft Award in Poetry 

Fellows: Margaret Hasse, Patricia Kirkpatrick, Yuko Taniguchi, Katrina Vandenberg
Judge: Naomi Shihab Nye
Honorable Mentions: Cullen Bailey Burns, Mary Logue, Linda Back McKay, Marilynn Walton, Kathleen Weihe

$25,000 Loft Award in Children’s Literature/Younger Children

Fellow: Phyllis Root
Judge: Lucia Monfried
Honorable Mentions: Dara Dokas, Betsy Thomas

2007

$25,000 Loft Award in Creative Prose

Fellows: Anne Campisi, Cheri Johnson, Bonnie Rough, John Salter
Judge: Jane Hamilton
Honorable Mentions: Barrie Jean Borich, Pamela Carter Joern, John Medeiros, Joel Hernandez Turnipseed

$25,000 Loft Award in Children’s Literature/Older Children

Fellow: Catherine Friend
Judge: Margery Cuyler
Honorable Mentions: Rebecca Fjelland Davis, Carol Dines

2008

$25,000 Loft Awards in Poetry and Spoken Word

Fellows: Ed Bok Lee, David Mura, Jude Nutter, Larry Schug
Judge: Martín Espada

$25,000 Loft Award in Children’s Literature/Younger Children

Fellow: Marsha Wilson Chall
Judge: Emily Easton
Honorable Mentions: Lindsay Lee Johnson, Lauren Stringer, Gwenyth Swain

2009

$25,000 Loft Awards in Creative Prose

Fellows: J.C. Hallman, John Jodzio, John Reimringer, Wang Ping
Judge: Bernard Cooper
Honorable Mentions: Jack El-Hai, Laura Flynn, Rebecca Kanner, Morgan Grayce Willow

$25,000 Loft Award in Children’s Literature/Older Children

Fellow: Trisha Speed Shaskan
Judge: Krista Marino
Honorable Mentions: Mary Casanova, Catherine Clark, Nancy Crocker, Phyllis Root

2010

$25,000 Loft Awards in Poetry and Spoken Word

Fellows: Kirsten Dierking, Susan Carol Hauser, Michael Larson, Elisabeth Workman
Judge: Marilyn Nelson
Honorable Mentions: Sean Hill, Tim Nolan, Mike Rollin, Christine Sikorski

$25,000 Loft Award in Children’s Literature/Younger Children

Fellow: Debra Frasier
Judge: Andrea Welch
Honorable Mentions: Linda Glaser, Lynne Jonell, Laura Purdie Salas, Constance Van Hoven

2011

$25,000 Loft Awards in Creative Prose

Fellows: John Colburn, Jessica Roeder, Ethan Rutherford, Dominic Saucedo
Judge: Pam Houston
Honorable Mentions: Alicia Conroy, Nick Healy, N.M. Kelby, Sarah Stonich

$25,000 Loft Award in Children’s Literature/Older Children

Fellow: Heather Bouwman
Judge: Arthur Levine
Honorable Mentions: Pete Hautman, Tunie Munson-Benson, Lisa M. Bolt Simons, Joan M. Wolf

2012

$25,000 Loft Awards in Poetry

Fellows: Mark Conway, Amy McCann, Jude Nutter, Matt Rasmussen
Judge: Mark Doty
Honorable Mentions: Dore Keisselbach, Brian Laidlaw, Ethna McKiernan, Anna George Meek

$25,000 Loft Award in Children’s Literature/Younger Children

Fellow: Lauren Stringer
Judge: Justin Chanda
Honorable Mentions: Marsha Wilson Chall, Terri DeGezelle, Michael Hall, Janet Lawson

2013

$25,000 Loft Awards in Creative Prose

Fellows: Matthew Batt, Eric Braun, Susan Koefed, Kao Kalia Yang
Judge: Luis Rodriguez
Honorable Mentions: Pallavi Dixit, Katie Hae Leo, Jonathan Odell, Yuko Taniguchi

$25,000 Loft Award in Children’s Literature/Older Children

Fellow: Anne Ursu
Judge: Donna Bray
Honorable Mentions: William Alexander, Brian Farrey-Latz, Lynne Jonell

2014

$25,000 Loft Awards in Poetry

Fellows: Danez Smith, Sierra DeMulder, Sun Yung Shin, Carolyn Williams-Noren
Judge: Nikky Finney
Honorable Mentions: Rita Moe, Kristin Naca, and Tracy Youngblom

$25,000 Loft Award in Children’s Literature/Younger Children

Fellow: Molly Beth Griffin
Judge: Jordan Brown
Honorable Mentions: Michael Hall, David LaRochelle, and Janet Lawson

2015

$25,000 McKnight Fellowship in Writing, Creative Prose

Fellows: Shannon Gibney, Susan Power, Susanne Aspley, Josh Ostergaard
Judge: LeAnne Howe
Honorable mentions: Danielle Sosin, Nancy Scott Hanway, Tami Mohamed Brown, Eric Vrooman

$25,000 McKnight Fellowship if Writing, Older Children’s Literature

Fellow: Kelly Barnhill
Judge: Connie Hsu
Honorable mentions: Megan Atwood, Laura Salas, Lynne Jonnell

2016

$25,000 McKnight Fellowship in Writing, Poetry and Spoken Word

Fellows: Khary Jackson, Kristin Naca, David Mura, Anders Carlson-Wee
Judge: Patrick Rosal
Honorable mentions: Hieu Minh Nguyen, Jude Nutter, Katharine Rauke, and Leslie Adrienne Miller.

$25,000 McKnight Fellowship if Writing, Older Children’s Literature

Fellow: Constance Van Hoven
Judge: Andrea Pinkney
Honorable mentions: Aimee Bissonette, Dara Dokas, Stephanie Watson, and Stephen Shaskan

2017

$25,000 McKnight Fellowship in Writing, Creative Prose

Fellows: Erin Kate Ryan, Susan Follett, Heid E. Erdrich, and Taiyon J. Coleman
Judge: Kiese Laymon
Honorable mentions: Rebecca Kanner, Lori Saroya, Tami Mohamed Brown, and Juliet Patterson

$25,000 McKnight Fellowship in Writing, Older Children’s Literature

Fellow: Brian Farrey
Judge: Kate Messner
Honorable mentions: Elizabeth Karre, Alison Behnke, Megan Atwood, and Jane O'Reilly

2018

$25,000 McKnight Fellowship in Writing, Spoken Word

Fellow: Donte Collins (St. Paul)
Judge: Anis Mojgani
Honorable mentions: Keno Evol (Minneapolis), Jeffrey Skemp (Minneapolis), April Gibson (Edina), and Tatyana (Peuo) Tuy (Edina).

$25,000 McKnight Fellowship in Writing, Poetry

Fellows: Hieu Minh Nguyen (Minneapolis), Chris Santiago (Bloomington), Lara Mimosa Montes (Brooklyn Center)
Judge: Solmaz Sharif
Honorable Mentions: Michael Torres (Mankato), Juliet Patterson (Minneapolis), Su Hwang (Minneapolis), and Miriam Karraker (Minneapolis)

$25,000 McKnight Fellowship in Writing, Books for Young Children

Fellow: Yvonne Pearson (Minneapolis)
Judge: Matt de la Pena
Honorable mentions: Megan Maynor (Minneapolis), Peter Pearson (Minneapolis), Barbara DaCosta (Minneapolis), and Elizabeth Karre (Saint Paul)

2019

$25,000 McKnight Fellowship in Writing, Creative Prose

Fellows: John Jodzio, Bronson Lemer, Emily Strasser, T.E. Wilderson
Judge: Cristina Garcia
Honorable mentions: Elizabeth Horneber, Pallavi Dixit, Chris McCormick, Michael Torres 

$25,000 McKnight Fellowship in Writing, Older Children’s Literature

Fellow: Alison Behnke
Judge: Ibi Zoboi
Honorable mentions: Swathi Avasthi, Loretta Ellsworth, Lisa Simons, Artika Tyner

2020

$25,000 McKnight Fellowship in Writing, Spoken Word

Fellow: Blythe Baird
Honorables: Tish Jones, Jeffrey Skemp, and Rebecca Nichloson
Judge: Patricia Smith

$25,000 McKnight Fellowship in Writing, Poetry

Fellows: Michael Torres, Jacob Lindberg, and Claire Wahmanholm
Honorables: Valerie Deus, Jennifer Kwon Dobbs, and Preeti Kaur Rajpal 
Judge: Natalie Diaz

$25,000 McKnight Fellowship in Writing, Picture Books

Fellow: Lauren Stringer
Honorables: Phyllis Root, Matt Lilley, and Kao Kalia Yang
Judge: Uma Krishnaswami

2021

$25,000 McKnight Fellowship in Writing, Creative Prose

Fellows: Angela Pelster, Abbey Mei Otis, Carson Faust, and Heather Quinn
Judge: Hanif Abdurraqib
Honorable mentions: Sun Yung Shin, Sheila O'Connor, Elizabeth Horneber, and Emma Torzs

$25,000 McKnight Fellowship in Writing, Older Children’s Literature

Fellow: V.T. Bidania
Judge: Erin Entrada Kelly
Honorable mentions: Heather Bouman, Margi Preus, Swati Avasthi, and Sarah Ahiers

2022

$25,000 McKnight Fellowship in Writing, Spoken Word

Fellow: Khary (K.W.) Jackson
Honorables:  Jeffrey Skemp, Miss Mari, and Tatyana (Peuo) Tuy
Judge: Beau Sia

$25,000 McKnight Fellowship in Writing, Poetry

Fellows: Douglas Kearney, Preeti Kaur Rajpaul, Chavonn Williams Shen
Honorables: Katharine Rauk, Chelsea DesAutels, Halee Kirkwood, and Marlin M. Jenkins
Judge: Ilya Kaminsky

$25,000 McKnight Fellowship in Writing, Picture Books

Fellow: Dr. Artika Tyner
Honorables: Barbara DaCosta, Martin Cozza, Stephen Shaskan, and Art Coulson
Judge: Meg Medina

2023

$25,000 McKnight Fellowship in Writing, Prose

Fellows: Naomi Cohn, Gen Del Raye, Hilal Isler, and Kao Kalia Yang
Honorables: Lesley Arimah, Zibiquah Denny, Otis Roffman, and Aurelia Wills
Judge: Alexander Chee

$25,000 McKnight Fellowship in Writing, CYA Older 

Fellow: Art Coulson
Honorables: Brita Sandstrom, TiArra Shepherd, Catherine Thimmesh, and Laura Zimmermann
Judge: Aida Salazar