Windham–Campbell Literature Prizes

The Donald Windham Sandy M. Campbell Literature Prizes are an American literary award which offers unrestricted grants in four categories, namely fiction, nonfiction, poetry and drama. Established at Yale University in 2011, the first prizes were presented in 2013.^[1][2][3] Administered by the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, the award recognizes English language writers from across the world. The mission of the award is to call attention to literary achievement and provide writers the opportunity to focus on their work independent of financial concerns. In 2017, the category of poetry was added and eight prizes have been awarded annually since then.

Since 2023, winners receive a citation, award and an unrestricted grant of $175,000. The individual prizes are among the richest literary prize amounts in the world, if not the richest in certain categories.^[1] The award is endowed from the combined estates of writer Donald Windham and actor Sandy Campbell. Campbell was Windham's companion of 45 years, and when Campbell died in 1988 he left his estate to Windham with the understanding a literary award would be created from the combined estate after Windham's death.^[1] Windham died in 2010, and in 2011 Yale announced they would become administrators of the new award.

The inaugural winners were announced on March 4, 2013, and a ceremony conferring the awards took place at Yale on September 10, 2013 with the nine recipients receiving a citation, award and an unrestricted grant of $150,000 each.^[4]

• Official website