The 1921 Prize in American Literature Deadline Extended: October 1, 2021

The American Literature Society is pleased to invite submissions for the 1921 prize, which is awarded annually for the best article in any field of American literature. The prize is named for the year the organization was initially founded “to promote and diversify the study of American Literature.” Judged by a panel comprised of members of the American Literature Society Advisory Board and other scholars in the field, the competition will be divided in two categories: one for tenured faculty and one for graduate students, scholars in contingent positions, and untenured faculty members. The winner will be announced at the 2022 MLA awards ceremony. 

Rules for competition:

• Submissions must be published during the calendar year of 2021. For submissions that have not yet appeared in print by the October 1 deadline, authors are requested to provide verification that their essay will be published within the calendar year. [Because COVID- 19 has disrupted publication timelines, the ALS will consider any article to be published in a 2021 issue of a journal, even if the journal appears in print later]. 
• No person may nominate more than one essay in a given year. 
• Articles on any field of American literature must appear in one of the following journals: African American Review; American Literary History; American Literary Realism; American Literature; American Periodicals; American Quarterly; Arizona Quarterly; Callaloo; Early American Literature; ESQ; J19; Journal of Ethnic American Literature; Legacy; MELUS; Modern Fiction Studies; Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS); Resources for American Literary Study; Studies in American Fiction; Studies in American Indian Literatures; The New England Quarterly. Essays that appear elsewhere will not be considered. 
• Authors must be members of the American Literature Society. Membership is free! For more about the American Literature Society, including a link to the online membership form and more about ALS awards, click here. 
• Please email an electronic copy of the nominated essay (PDF preferred) to the Prize Committee by October 1, 2021 to 1921prizeALS@gmail.com. 

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Alisha Gaines, American Literature Society Chair, at amgaines@fsu.edu.