
Institute for Immigration Research
New American Voices Award
Founded in 2018, Fall for the Book and the Institute for Immigration Research created an award to recognize recently published works that illuminate the complexity of the human experience as told by immigrants, whose work is historically underrepresented in writing and publishing.
Three jurors will judge all entries for the 2024 New American Voices Award and choose three finalists and then award the prize to one. Finalists will be announced in summer 2024 and all three finalists and the judges will appear at the Fall for the Book festival in October 2024 for the seventh annual presentation and read from and discuss their work. The winning writer will receive $5,000 and the two finalists each will receive $1,000.

Award News
Rachel Heng Wins 6th Annual New American Voices Award

Rachel Heng won the 6th Annual New American Voices Award on October 12 in the Center for the Arts at George Mason University.
Submission Guidelines
Submit to the Award
- Starting December 4, 2023, publishers can enter immigrant writers* who have published no more than three books.
- Entries must be prose: literary fiction or creative nonfiction. Please no journalism, plays, anthologies, or poetry.
- Eligible books must have been (or will be) published between October 1, 2023 and September 30, 2024.
- Four bound copies of the book (galleys/ARCs are acceptable) must be postmarked March 29, 2024 and sent to Kara Oakleaf at 4400 University Drive, MS 3E4, Fairfax, VA 22030, along with a $20 entry fee. Checks can be made out to Fall for the Book, Inc.; entry fee may also be paid online here.
- For accessibility reasons, please also submit your book digitally. Please email them to kara [at] fallforthebookorg. If no bound copies will be available by the deadline, you may submit digitally only.

*Writers should be immigrants to the U.S., living in the States. They can be first generation by either definition of the term (born elsewhere and immigrated to the U.S., or born in the states to parents who immigrated to the U.S.) Questions? Contact Kara Oakleaf – kara[@]fallforthebook.org
Meet the Judges
Announcement of judges for the 2024 Award is coming soon.
2023 New American Voices Award Winner and Finalists
2023 Winner

2023 Finalists


Previous Winners
2022 Winner

2022 Finalists


2021 Winner

2021 Finalists


2020 Winner

2020 Finalists


2019 Winner

2019 Finalists


2018 Winner

2018 Finalists

