2025 Wisconsin Writers Awards Ceremony

Join us on Sunday, May 3, 2026 at 6 PM to celebrate the best published work from 2025 by Wisconsin writers. The award ceremony includes brief readings by first place winners and will be followed by a reception and book signing by the authors.

Don't miss the opportunity to hear some of Wisconsin's best writers reading from their work. This event is free and open to the public. Winners will be announced at the ceremony, and finalists are listed below:

Lorine Niedecker Poetry Award Finalists
Nina Boals
Christopher Chambers
Nick Demske
Sami Hegelson
Cynthis Marie Hoffman
Lora Keller
Jesse Lee Kercheval
Mark Kraushaar
Chessy Normile
Joseph Radke
Wendy Vardaman

Kay W. Levin Short Nonfiction Award Finalists
Jane Barnard
Matt Cashion
Krista Eastman
Richard Ely
Jill Sisson Quinn
John Gurda
Brandon Hansen
Ronnie Hess
Jesse Lee Kercheval
Heather Swan
Barrett Swanson

Zona Gale Short Fiction Award
Margaret Benbow
Alex Bledsoe
Linda Falkenstein
Steve Fox
A.M. Mischek
Jennifer Morales
Cayce Osborne
Eric Roe
Christine Schultz
Richie Zaborowske

Edna Ferber Fiction Book Award
Anthony Bukoski
Nickolas Butler
Phyllis R. Dixon
Charity Eleson
Janis Falk
Steve Fox
Richard Goodkin
Michael Hopkins
E. H. Lupton
David McGlynn
Ron Rindo
Lindsey Steffes

Edna Meudt Poetry Book Award Finalists
Sasha Debevec-McKenney
Lisa Fishman
Anthony Immergluck
C. Kubasta
Meredith Mason
Richard Meier
Kurt Olsson
Jacqueline S. Redmer
David Southward
Mandy Mo Pwint Tu

Norbert Blei/August Derleth Nonfiction Book Award Finalists
Gaar Adams
Kristina Amelong
Ann Bausum
Emily Callaci
J.K. Cheema
Tamara Dean
B.J. Hollars
Ben McCormick
Andrew Patrie
Nancy Reddy
Joshua Shores
Christine Wenc

The Wisconsin Writers Awards was established in 1964 and is Wisconsin’s longest-running literary award for published work. The eight awards include four awards for books; three awards for short form works including short stories, poetry, and nonfiction; and one special prize for writing by a Wisconsin high school student. The awards celebrate works published in 2025 by writers currently residing in or having lived for a significant period of time in Wisconsin (entries for the Wisconsin Young Writers Award need not have been previously published). This year the first place award for books prize was increased to $1000.

In addition to cash prizes, first-place winners of the Wisconsin Writers Awards (except for the Young Writers Award) each receive a five-day writing residency at Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts in Mineral Point. Honorable mentions receive a cash prize and five-day residency at Ernest Hüpeden's Painted Forest in Wonewoc, WI. Out-of-state judges made the decisions for each award.