Porter Prize

The Porter Prize, established in 1984 by the non-profit organization known as the Porter Fund Literary Prize, is awarded annually to a writer who has created a substantial body of work and has a significant connection with Arkansas. The $5000 prize is one of the most prestigious literary awards in Arkansas. (The non-profit organization also awards a lifetime achievement award every five years and an annual scholarship to a student in the University of Central Arkansas Master of Fine Arts Creative Writing Program.) The Porter Prize was founded in honor of Ben Drew Kimpel.

Recipients

• 2023 Jay Jennings Fiction
• 2022 Mark Barr Fiction
• 2021 Jen Fawkes Fiction
• 2020 Geffrey Davis Poetry
• 2019 Qui Nguyen Playwriting
• 2018 Tyrone Jaeger Fiction
• 2017 Padma Viswanathan Fiction
• 2016 Sandy Longhorn Poetry
• 2015 Davis McCombs Poetry
• 2014 Mara Leveritt Non-Fiction
• 2013 Pat Carr Fiction
• 2012 Margaret Jones Bolsterli Non-Fiction
• 2011 Bill Harrison Fiction
• 2010 Bob Ford Playwriting
• 2009 Roy Reed Non-Fiction
• 2008 Trenton Lee Stewart Fiction
• 2007 Greg Brownderville Poetry
• 2006 Donald "Skip" Hays Fiction
• 2005 Shirley Abbott Non-Fiction
• 2005 Constance Merritt Poetry
• 2004 Michael Burns Poetry
• 2003 Kevin Brockmeier Fiction
• 2002 Ralph Burns Poetry
• 2001 Morris Arnold Non-Fiction
• 2001 Fleda Brown Poetry
• 2000 Jo McDougall Poetry
• 1999 Grif Stockley Fiction
• 1998 Michael Heffernan Poetry
• 1997 Dennis Vannatta Fiction
• 1996 David Jauss Fiction
• 1995 Norman Lavers Fiction
• 1994 Werner Trieschmann Playwriting
• 1993 No Prize was awarded
• 1992 Andrea Hollander Poetry
• 1991 Crescent Dragonwagon Fiction
• 1990 James Twiggs Fiction
• 1989 Hope Norman Coulter Fiction
• 1988 Paul Lake Poetry
• 1987 Donald Harington Fiction
• 1986 Buddy Nordan Fiction
• 1985 Leon Stokesbury Poetry