The Aspen Words Literary Prize is a $35,000 annual award for an influential work of fiction that illuminates a vital contemporary issue and demonstrates the transformative power of literature on thought and culture. Annually, open to authors of any nationality, the award is one of the largest literary prizes in the United States, and one of the few focused exclusively on fiction with a social impact.

Lauren Groff discusses her most recent novel “The Vaster Wilds,” which plunges readers into colonial America’s wilderness through the eyes of a young servant girl fleeing the famine of Jamestown. As she navigates nature’s brutal beauty and the edges of survival, Groff crafts an electrifying exploration of resilience, self-discovery, and the precarious line between civilization and wildness.

Listen in as bestselling author Kevin Fedarko recounts the untamed adventure behind “A Walk in the Park,” narrating his grueling 750-mile trek through the Grand Canyon—an awe-inspiring journey across perilous cliffs, hidden histories, and breathtaking vistas. With humor, humility, and deep reverence, he transports readers to the edge of endurance and into the heart of America’s most majestic landscape. Fedarkso is also the author of “The Emerald Mile.”

Step into a thrilling exploration of AI, art, and the human psyche with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar as he unveils his new play, McNeal. Akhtar offers a glimpse into the story of Jacob McNeal—a novelist at odds with his own AI obsession— as he grapples with the limits of creativity and the haunting possibilities of artificial intelligence.

Listen in for a conversation with 2024 Aspen Words Literary Prize ceremony moderator, novelist and host of NPR’s “All Things Considered,” Mary Louise Kelly.

The Aspen Words Literary Prize is a $35,000 annual award for an influential work of fiction that illuminates a vital contemporary issue and demonstrates the transformative power of literature on thought and culture.

The 2024 Winter Words season began with acclaimed, award-winning author Ann Patchett and her longtime literary friend, Elizabeth McCracken in conversation. Patchett returned to the Aspen Words stage and discussed her latest work, Tom Lake, a “Reese’s Book Club” selection. The novel is a meditation on young love, married love, and the lives parents have led before children. McCracken is the author of eight books including her most recent novel, “The Hero of This Book.”

Listen in for a spoken word poetry performance featuring teaching artists Natasha “natty” Carrizosa, Logan Phillips and Joaquín Zihuatanejo, who perform their original work. Carrizosa is a poet, writer, speaker, and creative writing teacher and the author of the poetry collections “mexiafricana,” “heavy light,” and “crown;” Phillips teaches at the University of Arizona and is the author of “Sonoran Strange;” and Zihuatanejo is the author of the poetry collection “Arsonist,” and the current poet laureate of Dallas, TX.

Listen in to this Aspen Words author talk with award-winning independent journalist and October 2023 Writer in Residence Miles W. Griffis, who discusses his writing about queer ecology and birding, including his focus on the local gray jay and a “brief history of avian drag.” Griffis is in conversation with local writer, Aspen Words Writer in Residence program partner and ACES board chair, Daniel Shaw.

Aspen Words executive director and author of the bestselling memoir “Wild Game” Adrienne Brodeur discusses her new novel, “Little Monsters,” a riveting story about Cape Cod, complicated families, and long-buried secrets. The talk was moderated by Elizabeth Nix.