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 $3,000 prize, in partnership with the Tasajillo Residency, we are excited to once again offer the winning writer an all-expenses-paid writing retreat at a beautiful, remote cabin on idyllic land that neighbors the Halifax Ranch, just outside of Austin in Kyle, Texas.
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MFA for All Spring 2026: Registrations on sale now
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.
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.
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 Prize: Best of the Small Presses. All entries will be considered for publication. The deadline to enter is February 1, 2026.
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!
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.