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November 6 and 7, 2026
Hartford, Connecticut
The American Voice Weekend
Since 2016, the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award has honored writers who tell American stories in a uniquely American voice.
This November, we mark ten years of the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award. Join us on Friday November 6 for a celebration honoring this year’s award winner and Saturday November 7 for a symposium on creative writing in the age of AI. Click here to learn more and purchase tickets to both events.
Award Benefactor
Michelle & David Baldacci
AVL Weekend Benefactor Sponsors
Ares Management
The Hartford
VanZelm
Webster Bank
AI Symposium Sponsors
The Frank Lord Memorial Fund
CT Humanities
MTAVLA Partner Sponsors
J.P. Morgan Private Bank
O'Neill and Sons, Inc
The Two-Day Schedule
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First presented in 2016, the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award is one of the nation's leading literary honors. The award carries a $25,000 cash prize, underwritten by David and Michelle Baldacci, and recognizes distinguished fiction that tells American stories in a uniquely American voice — one that reflects Mark Twain's incisive curiosity and humanity.
This year's ceremony marks the 10th anniversary of the award. The evening includes an exclusive 25-person VIP reception inside the Mark Twain House, a pre-program reception in Hal Holbrook Hall, and the award presentation before an audience of 175 readers, writers, and friends of the museum.
Purchase tickets to the MTAVL Award Ceremony here.
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Join us on Saturday November 7th from 9:30am to 3pm for Creative Writing in the Age of AI at The Mark Twain House & Museum and live streaming.
This day-long symposium will explore the philosophical, ethical, and legal aspects of generative AI and human creativity, the experiences of established and aspiring authors and editors in this critical moment, and the ways generative AI is reshaping how we read, engage with, and teach the literary arts. Gathering together scholars, authors, editors, educators, and critics from around the country, we'll explore how generative AI prompts us to think more about creative writing, what we value about it, and how we can best uphold those values going forward.
Purchase in-person and live streaming tickets.
Meet the 2026 Judges
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Adriana Trigiani
Bestselling Novelist and Filmmaker
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Ben Shattuck
2025 MTAVL Recipient
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Michael Gorra
Critic and Literary Scholar
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Laura Pedersen
Author and Columnist
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Rand Richards Cooper
Author and Critic
MTAVL News & History
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Are You Happy?: Stories — Lori Ostlund
Atavists: Stories — Lydia Millet
Big Chief — Jon Hickey
Buckeye — Patrick Ryan
Crooks — Lou Berney
Dream State — Eric Puchner
Flashlight — Susan Choi
Fox — Joyce Carol Oates
Heartwood — Amity Gaige
Life, and Death, and Giants: A Novel — Ron Rindo
Maggie; Or, A Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar — Katie Yee
My Darling Boy: A Novel — John Dufresne
Narrow the Road — James Wade
Old School Indian — Aaron John Curtis
People Like Us — Jason Mott
Sacrament — Susan Straight
So Far Gone — Jess Walter
Stag Dance — Torrey Peters
The Doorman — Chris Pavone
The Emergency — George Packer
The Imagined Life — Andrew Porter
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny — Kiran Desai
The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne — Ron Currie
The Wilderness — Angela Flournoy
These Heathens — Mia McKenzie
Tom’s Crossing — Mark Z. Danielewski
Vera, or Faith — Gary Shteyngart
What a Time to Be Alive — Jade Chang
What Happened to the McCrays? — Tracey Lange
What Kind of Paradise — Janelle Brown
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August 19, 2026 — Shortlist announced
September 16, 2026 — Finalists announced
September 30, 2026 — 2026 winner announced
November 6, 2026 — The Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award Celebration
November 7, 2026 — Creative Writing in the Age of AI Symposium
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The History of Sound by Ben Shattuck
Absolution by Alice McDermott
Mercy Street by Jennifer Haigh
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
Dodgers by Bill Beverly
The Harder They Come by T.C. Boyle
Panelists for Creative Writing in the Age of AI
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John Warner
Writer & speaker
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Jeffrey C. Dixon
Professor, College of the Holy Cross
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Damien P. Williams
Assistant Professor, UNC Charlotte
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Bhamati Viswanathan
Visiting Assistant Professor, Suffolk University Law School
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Emily Hockaday
Editor, Asimov’s Science Fiction
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David Baldacci
Novelist
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Ron Charles
Book critic
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Matt Seybold
Associate Professor, Elmira College
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Jane Rosenzweig
Writer & editor
The American Voice Weekend is made possible by the generosity of our sponsors. Sponsorship opportunities are available at multiple levels, with benefits including event tickets, recognition in the program and weekend materials, and visibility to the museum's 55,000 annual visitors.