Townsend Prize for Fiction

Biennial award honoring excellence in literary fiction by Georgia authors since 1982.

Established in 1981 in memory of Jim Townsend, founding editor of Atlanta magazine and mentor to a generation of remarkable Southern authors, the Prize was administered by The Chattahoochee Review and Georgia State University's Perimeter College since the 1990s before it was inherited by the AWC, a sponsor of the Prize for years. Beginning in the summer of 2023, the AWC has partnered with the Georgia Writers Museum to administer this award to take advantage of the strengths and talents of both organizations.

Awarded every two years, the Prize honors the best piece of literary fiction written by a Georgia author during the time since the last award. A selection committee that includes members of the Georgia literary community will consider all qualified contenders for the cash prize and crystal award by reviewing all eligible works and narrowing the list of possibilities to ten finalists, which will then be sent to three out-of-state judges for the final decision. All ten finalists will receive a plaque to commemorate that honor.

The 2027 Townsend Prize for Fiction Award Ceremony features dinner and hors d'oeuvres catered by Proof of the Pudding, an open bar with beer, wine, and tea, and the opportunity to meet all 10 finalists and purchase signed, personalized books, followed by the awarding of the 2027 Townsend Prize for Fiction.