The Henry Dumas Fiction Prize 2026
Arkansas International
Funding
$1,000 USD
Deadline
22 March 2026
Location
Open to all countries
Entry Fee
$34
About
Awarding an emerging writer for innovative fiction that “inhabits the geography” of its place. Open to writers with no published full-length books.
In honour of Henry Dumas’ legacy, the Arkansas International seeks to award an emerging writer for innovative fiction that “inhabits the geography” of its place in rare ways. The 2026 contest will be judged by John Keene. Awards & Prizes: Grand Prize: $1,000 USD (approx. $1,700 NZD) and publication in the Arkansas International. All submissions will be considered for inclusion in the publication. Submission Guidelines & Fees: Entry Fee: $20 USD (approx. $34 NZD) per entry. You may submit multiple times, but each new entry requires a separate fee. Format: Submit a single prose work of fiction not exceeding 7,500 words. File Type: Double-spaced manuscript submitted as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file. Blind Judging: The contest is judged blindly. You must remove any identifying information from your submission document. Submissions with identifying information will be disqualified. Originality: Only work previously unpublished in any venue will be considered. Eligibility Requirements: Open to English-language writers of any nation. You must not have published a full-length book, and you must have no book forthcoming before December 1, 2026. Writers who have published chapbooks qualify; writers who have self-published full-length books are ineligible. Close friends and previous students of the judge, as well as anyone affiliated with the Arkansas International within the past four years, are ineligible to apply.