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High Desert Museum is currently accepting applications for its Waterston Desert Writing Prize 2026. Interested applicants are encouraged to click here to learn more about this opportunity and apply for it.
The High Desert Museum is excited to annonce the 2026 Waterston Desert Writing Prize. This prize celebrates outstanding literary nonfiction that reflects a deep connection to desert landscapes.
$3,000 cash award
Public reading and reception at the High Desert Museum
Recognition by advisory committee and guest judge
Networking opportunities with desert-focused writers and advocates
Applicants must be nonfiction writers (no poetry, fiction, or juvenile literature).
Work must demonstrate artistic excellence, desert literacy, and sensitivity to place.
Submissions should be part of or related to a book-length nonfiction manuscript.
Generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) are prohibited in submissions.
Step 1. Fill out the online application form on Submittable. This form is the ONLY location identifying information (your name, address, email) should appear.
​Step 2. Upload ONE Word (.doc or .docx) or PDF file. Combine the three parts of the application described below into one document and do not place your name or other identifying information on any page of the document.
a. Biographical Statement: One double-spaced page in 12-point type and one-inch margins. Do not disclose your identity in this information.
b. Proposal Title and Description: No more than one double-spaced page in 12-point type and one-inch margins.
c. Writing Sample: No more than 10 double-spaced pages in 12-point type and one-inch margins.
Step 3. Submit materials. All applications must be submitted via Submittable. Please note that incomplete and late applications will not be reviewed.
