McKnight

The Loft administers the McKnight Fellowships for Writers. Five $25,000 awards are presented annually to accomplished Minnesota writers and spoken word artists. Four awards alternate annually between creative prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) and poetry/spoken word. The fifth award is presented in children’s literature and alternates annually for writing for ages eight and under and writing for children older than eight.

The Loft Literary Center is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2021 McKnight Artist Fellowships for Writers, Loft Awards in Creative Prose and Loft Award in Children's Literature (Older Children). The fellowships are judged by prominent American authors and editors, and the winners, all from Minnesota, are awarded $25,000 each. The judges this year were Hanif Abdurraqib in creative prose and Erin Entrada Kelly in children’s literature.

The Loft received 32 qualified applications in children’s literature and 88 qualified applications in creative prose. This year’s recipients are children’s writer V.T. Bidania (Arden Hills) and creative prose writers Angela Pelster (Saint Paul), Abbey Mei Otis (Minneapolis), Carson Faust (Hopkins), and Heather Quinn (Saint Paul).