We are thrilled to announce that Electric Literature has won the prestigious Whiting Literary Magazine Prize! This highly competitive award recognizes excellence in digital and print magazines, and supports winners with an outright grant in the first year, followed by two years of a matching grant, and ongoing professional development.
The panel of anonymous judges said that Electric Literature is “an indispensable project with exceptional reach,” that “pushes the boundaries of what a literary magazine can be.”
Electric Literature pushes the boundaries of what a literary magazine can be.
Three experts in the field reviewed over 80 applications, selecting 15 finalists and five winners. Our fellow 2022 winners include American Chordata, Bennington Review, ZYZZYVA, and Apogee Journal. The judges praised the “polish, verve, and style of the writing” in the print categories, and the “accessibility and loyal literary community” (i.e. all of you!) fostered by the winners of the digital categories (that’s us!).
The judges went on to call Electric Literature “a sanctuary, a community, a map charting literature’s course.” This is exactly what we strive to be—inclusive and forward thinking, a place where our writers and readers feel at home. In our thirteenth year of publication, eighth with Halimah Marcus as executive director, and our first under the editorial leadership of Denne Michele Norris, we are deeply moved to have our work recognized in this way. Quite simply, we feel seen.
Electric Literature can be whatever its reader needs most: a sanctuary, a community, a map charting literature’s course.
Literary magazines are the lifeblood of our industry; we’re often the first to nurture and publish tomorrow’s literary phenoms. Doing so allows us to shape the future of books, art, and culture, and that’s a responsibility we take seriously. Literature comprises so much more than book sales—it’s many stories told in many formats, and it must include a plurality of voices. Electric Literature’s mission is to make literature more exciting, relevant, and inclusive. With the support of the Whiting Foundation, we can remain steadfast in that effort.
We are deeply grateful to the Whiting Foundation for the recognition of Electric Literature’s work, and also for their commitment to a vital literary ecosystem outside of corporate publishing. And as always, we are most thankful to you—our beloved EL community—without whom none of this would matter.