The Mark Twain Award

First presented in 2016, the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award (Mark Twain Award) honors a work of fiction from the previous calendar year that speaks with an “American Voice” about American experiences. The award carries a $25,000 cash prize underwritten by David and Michelle Baldacci.

2026 marks the 10th anniversary of the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award (MTAVLA), one of the nation’s leading literary honors, recognizing distinguished fiction that tells American stories in a uniquely American voice, one that reflects Mark Twain’s incisive curiosity and humanity.

To honor this anniversary, we are making the celebration a two-day event by adding a day-long symposium on Saturday, November 7th that will discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on creative writing. The Creative Writing in the Age of AI Symposium will explore the philosophical and ethical aspects of generative AI and human creativity, the experiences of established and aspiring authors in this critical moment, and the ways generative AI is reshaping how we read, engage with, and teach the literary arts.

An elderly woman with curly white hair, dressed in a light-colored suit, sitting outdoors on a large rock, holding a small cat in her lap, with trees and grass in the background.