Native Writers' Circle of the Americas

The Native Writers' Circle of the Americas (NWCA) was established on the last day of the famous five-day-long international Native Writers' festival, Returning the Gift (RTG) July 7-11, 1992, in Norman, Oklahoma by the then steering committee of RTG. Returning the Gift was, and remains, the largest gathering ever of Native writers in one place. (See "Returning the Gift: An Introduction", by Joseph Bruchac and "On a Festival Called Returning the Gift", by Geary Hobson, in Returning the Gift: Poetry and Prose From the First North American Native Writers' Festival -Tucson: The University of Arizona Press, 1994).

The purpose of NWCA is to serve as an international Indian "pen" of sorts, to provide a database of Native American writers' addresses, a library of works by Native authors, the maintenance of three annual literature prizes--the Lifetime Achievement Award and the First Book Award.  The NWCA is currently co-directed by Geary Hobson and Gwen Westerman Griffin.

The NWCA Lifetime Achievement Award is based on the writer's complete work to date and decided by members of NWCA. The Lifetime Achievement and the First Book Award are the only literature prizes bestowed on Indian writers by Indian people. 

First Book Award Winners - Prose
First Book Award Winners - Poetry
Lifetime Achievement Award Winners
          Short List of Previous LAA Nominees

Guidelines for submissions for First Book Awards

For More Information regarding NWCA please contact:
Gwen Westerman Griffin
English Department
Minnesota State University, Mankato
230 Armstrong Hall
Mankato, MN 56001

gwen.griffin@mnsu.edu
507.389.5508