The Community of Literary Magazines & Presses (CLMP) has announced the finalists for the 2026 Firecracker Awards, recognising independently published books across fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and literary magazines.
Among the finalists are two African writers:
- Olufunke Grace Bankole, finalist in the Fiction category for The Edge of Water (Tin House)
- Latif Askia Ba, finalist in the Poetry category for The Choreic Period: Poems (Milkweed Editions)
The awards are judged across categories by separate panels. The Fiction judges are Stacie Shannon Denetsosie, Mubanga Kalimamukwento, and Mikey LaFave. The Poetry judges are José Angel Araguz, Danny Caine, and Esther Lin. The Creative Nonfiction and Magazine categories are also judged by separate panels of writers and editors.
The winners of the 2026 Firecracker Awards will be announced at a virtual ceremony scheduled for June 25, 2026, at 6 p.m. ET.
We at JAY Lit are rooting for you!
