Point Loma Nazarene University is proud to announce that graduating Master of Arts in Writing student Sarah Southern has won the 2026 AWP Intro Journals Project Prize for prose.
Southern was recognized for her essay, “Resuscitated Fallow,” which will be published in Colorado Review. Her selection marks the second year in a row that a PLNU Writing, M.A. student has won a national prize.
“I’m so impressed with Sarah’s writing,” said Robbie Maakestad, program director for PLNU’s Master of Arts in Writing. “This is the biggest prize awarded to students by our guild. Each writing program nominates work by one student for the prize in each genre, so Sarah’s essay was selected as a winner from a pool of writing by the top grad program writers — typically, Ph.D. and MFA candidates. Sarah is such a talented writer, and this essay is truly deserving.”
The AWP Intro Journals Project is widely recognized as one of the leading national competitions for emerging writers in higher education. You can view the full list of winners and judges at AWP Intro Journals Project Winners.