Three Literary Writers Named 2026 MacArthur Fellows

The MacArthur Foundation on Tuesday named 20 individuals to its 2026 class of MacArthur Fellows, including three literary writers: poet Layli Long Soldier and fiction writers Maaza Mengiste and Bryan Washington.

Each fellowship carries a no-strings-attached award of $800,000, disbursed over five years. The Foundation selects fellows who demonstrate, in its words, "exceptional creativity" and excellence in their fields — people "who demonstrate the ability to impact society in significant and beneficial ways through their pioneering work or the rigor of their contributions."

The grants, widely known as "genius grants," went this year to historians, artists, scientists, anthropologists and composers alongside the three writers.

Layli Long Soldier was cited as a poet "exploring ways to articulate Native American histories and celebrate enduring kinship, strength and creativity."

Maaza Mengiste received recognition as a fiction writer "revealing the human costs of political violence through a compelling blend of history, memory, and imagination."

Bryan Washington was honored as a fiction writer "capturing the fragile beauty of modern relationships in stories shaped by place, memory, and rituals of daily care."

The five-year, unrestricted structure of the award leaves each fellow free to determine how — and whether — to redirect their literary work in the years ahead.