Waterston Desert Writing Prize

The Waterston Desert Writing Prize (the Prize) was established in 2014 and inspired by author and poet Ellen Waterston’s love of the High Desert, a region that has been her muse for more than 40 years. Waterston was named Oregon Poet Laureate in August 2024 for a two-year term. The Prize provides financial and other support to writers whose work reflects a similar connection to the desert, recognizing the vital role deserts play worldwide in the ecosystem and the human narrative.

In 2025, the Prize will recognize the winner with a $3,000 cash award and a reading and reception at the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon on September 25, 2025. Proposals will be reviewed by the Waterston Desert Writing Prize Advisory Committee and the 2025 guest judge.

Submission Period
Monday, January 6, 2025, through Thursday, May 1, 2025, at 11:59 PM PST.

Who’s Eligible to Apply
Nonfiction writers who illustrate artistic excellence, sensitivity to place and desert literacy with the desert as both subject and setting. The award supports literary nonfiction writers who are completing, proposing, or considering the creation of a book-length manuscript. It is recommended the writing sample submitted is part of the proposed project or closely represents it in content and style.