Words without Borders Wins Whiting Magazine Prize!

Posted on June 27, 2018

We're delighted to announce that Words without Borders has just been awarded the first-ever Whiting Literary Magazine Prize!

“For a magazine devoted to literature in translation to win this groundbreaking prize makes a clear statement about the importance of international narratives within the US literary landscape today,” said WWB executive director Karen M. Phillips. “We are deeply honored and will use this opportunity to keep expanding the space for stories that break through boundaries and connect us to the world.”

The Whiting Literary Magazine Prizes were launched to acknowledge, reward, and encourage organizations that are actively nurturing the writers who tell us, through their art, what is important. Five expert judges looked for publications that embody the best of what magazines do: edit and publish extraordinary writing, support talented writers on the page and in the world, connect with readers, and advance the literary community. WWB, which won for the digital category, will receive $10,000 in 2018 and a matching grant of $10,000 in 2019 and 2020.

In their citation, the judges praised the magazine’s “robust, insightful array of otherwise unavailable international literature,” calling it “a monument to international collaboration and a shared belief in artistic possibility.”

Read the full citation on the Whiting Foundation’s website.

As readers of this website may already know, the literature published here is culled from the rich and diverse archives of Words without Borders. We couldn't be prouder to be part of WWB, and congratulate our colleagues at the magazine on this recognition!