Following the presentation of the prize Me rrill will be interviewed by Loren Glass the M. F. Carpenter Professor and Chair of the Department of English at the University of Iowa. A reception will follow the cereomony which is free and open to the public. \;
\nThe prize\, established in 2011\, honors an individual who\, like Pa ul Engle\, represents a pioneering spirit in the world of literature throu gh writing\, editing\, publishing\, or teaching\, and whose active partici pation in the larger issues of the day has contributed to the betterment o f the world through the literary arts.
\nThe prize includes a $25\,0 00 award and a one-of-a-kind work of art. Merrill\, who retired at the end of 2025 after 25 years as the director of the International Writing Progr am at the University of Iowa\, will receive the award at a ceremony at 2 p .m. on Oct. 18\, at the Coralville Public Library. Loren Glass\, chair of the UI English Department\, will interview Merrill as part of the program. The event\, which kicks off the 2026 Iowa City Book Festival\, is free an d open to the public.
\nMerrill said he was honored to receive the p rize.
\n&ldquo\;Paul Engle set a dynamic example of literary engagem ent\, as a poet and writer\, teacher and director of the Iowa Writers&rsqu o\; Workshop and International Writing Program (IWP). And his creative thi nking has been for me a spur to try new things during my tenure in Iowa\, and so it is a thrill to receive an award in his name.&rdquo\;
\nMer rill was born in Northampton\, Massachusetts and raised in New Jersey. He holds two degrees: a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middlebury College\, and a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Washingto n.
\nHe has published more than 10 collections of poetry\, including \;Watch Fire\, for which he received the Lavan Younger Poets Award fr om the Academy of American Poets\, and \;On the Road to Lviv\; many ed ited volumes and translations\; and seven books of nonfiction\, among them \, \;Only the Nails Remain: Scenes from the Balkan Wars\, Things of th e Hidden God: Journey to the Holy Mountain\, \;and \;The Tree of t he Doves: Ceremony\, Expedition\, War. His writings have been translated i nto nearly 40 languages\; his journalism appears widely\; his honors inclu de a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres from the French government\, numero us translation awards\, and fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Mem orial and Ingram Merrill Foundations.
\nAs director of IWP\, Merrill conducted cultural diplomacy missions to more than 50 countries. He serve d on the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO from 2011-2018\, and in April 2012 President Barack Obama appointed him to the National Council on the Humanities.
\nThe Paul Engle Prize is made possible through the gene rous support of the City of Coralville\, which is home to 11 permanent scu lptures with artistic and literary ties to Iowa. The sculptures all have t ies to work found in The Iowa Writers&rsquo\; Library\, housed in the Hyat t Regency Coralville Hotel\, which features about 800 books written by for mer students\, graduates and faculty of the Iowa Writers&rsquo\; Workshop.
\nThe Engle Prize itself is a one-of-a-kind work of art. Each piece is crafted to reflect the work and impact of the recipient\, while tying it to the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature.
\nPaul Engle (October 12\, 1908 &ndash\; March 22\, 1991)\, though best remembered as the long- time director of the Writers&rsquo\; Workshop and co-founder with his wife \, Hualing Nieh Engle\, of the UI&rsquo\;s International Writing Program\, also was a well-regarded poet\, playwright\, essayist\, editor and critic . In 2000\, then-Gov. Tom Vilsack declared Engle&rsquo\;s birthday\, Oct. 12\, as &ldquo\;Paul Engle Day&rdquo\; in Iowa.
\nPrevious winners o f the prize are James Alan McPherson\, Kwame Dawes\, Luis Alberto Urrea\, Roxane Gay\, Alexander Chee\, Dina Nayeri\, Toi Derricotte\, Cornelius Ead y\, Dr. Eve L. Ewing\, Rebecca Solnit\, Joan Naviyuk Kane\, Camille Dungy\ , and Cole Swensen. Visit \;www.iowacityofliterature.org/paul-engle-da y \;for more information about the prize and past winners.
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