We’re so pleased to announce that our judge for this year’s Halifax Ranch Fiction Prize will be Rachel Khong, author of the New York Times bestselling novel Real Americans, the award-winning novel Goodbye, Vitamin, and the new story collection My Dear You, out from Knopf in April 2026. Khong lives in Los Angeles, where she teaches creative writing in a collective called The Dream Slide. The deadline to submit to the Halifax Ranch Fiction Prize is June 1, 2026. In addition to publication and a ... [READ MORE]
NOTEBOOK
MFA for All Spring 2026: Registrations on sale now
MFA for ALL MFA for All was born from our desire to create a space where MFA-quality instruction is widely accessible to writers no matter their age, background, location, or financial situation. MFA for All is not a degree-granting program—it is a community-rich online educational experience led by top-notch faculty, free of the significant hurdles of time, expense, and geography that MFAs demand. These master classes will offer structured insight into your craft and writing practice, ... [READ MORE]
Introducing Our New Insider Prize Director Sergio Muro
We’re thrilled to introduce Sergio Muro, the new director of the Insider Prize, a contest for incarcerated writers in Texas. Sergio takes over from Adam Soto, who has grown the prize into something incredibly meaningful over the last three years, and who, luckily for us, will stay on at ASF as a senior editor. We are so grateful to Adam for his wonderful work and happy that he can now leave it in such capable new hands. Sergio Muro is a fiction writer from Laredo, Texas. He is also on the ... [READ MORE]
The 2026 American Short(er) Fiction Prize
We are thrilled to announce that the brilliant Bret Anthony Johnston—internationally bestselling author of We Burn Daylight and Remember Me Like This and director of the Michener Center for Writers—will judge the 2026 American Short(er) Fiction Prize. The prize recognizes extraordinary short fiction under 1,500 words. The first-place winner will receive a $1,000 prize and publication. Previous winners of the Short(er) Fiction Prize have gone on to be anthologized in places such as The Pushcart ... [READ MORE]
The 2025 Halifax Prize Winners
We are thrilled to announce the winners of this year's Halifax Ranch Fiction Prize, judged by Eric Puchner. We consider it our privilege to have spent time with so many terrific submissions—thank you for giving us the opportunity to read your work. Congratulations to the winners! _____ First-Place Prize: "The Woman" by Jana Horn Judge Eric Puchner writes, "This emotionally insightful story about a woman who goes on a camping trip with her boyfriend and his daughter, who's been mysteriously ... [READ MORE]
Story Sessions: Susan Choi in Conversation with Deb Olin Unferth
Join ASF for the second installment of Story Sessions, a literary series that brings exceptional authors together for a freewheeling discussion about the power of stories and the ways we share them, on September 12, 2025, at Huston-Tillotson University from 6 – 8:00 p.m. We’re thrilled to welcome the National Book Award-winning novelist Susan Choi to the stage alongside acclaimed novelist Deb Olin Unferth. This event is free and open to the public and ASL interpretation will be provided. ... [READ MORE]