The Waterston Desert Writing Prize 2020 is now open for submissions. Applicants must submit online through April 1, 2020. The Prize, now in its sixth year, honors creative nonfiction that illustrates artistic excellence, sensitivity to place and desert literacy, with the desert as both subject and setting. Inspired by author and poet Ellen Waterston’s love of the high desert of Central Oregon, a region that has been her muse for over 30 years, the prize recognizes the vital role deserts play worldwide in the ecosystem and the human narrative. Submission guidelines and a link to submit are available at waterstondesertwritingprize.org. The Prize winner will receive a $2,500 cash award, a reading and reception at the High Desert Museum on June 24 in Bend and a residency at PLAYA at Summer Lake, Oregon.

The prize is funded from an endowment managed by the Oregon Community Foundation, with the impetus for the creation of the endowment provided by actor Sam Waterston, after whom the prize is named. As the endowment for the prize grows, so will the annual prize amount. Tax deductible donations can be made online or via check to the Waterston Desert Writing Prize, a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, and mailed to PO Box 640, Bend, Oregon 97709.

waterstondesertwritingprize.org • info@waterstondesertwritingprize.org • 541.480.3933