For all lovers of literary environmental activism, the sixth annual awards ceremony for the Waterston Desert Writing prize will be held virtually through Zoom on Sept. 17. The prize, founded by local author Ellen Waterston, encourages writers across the country to narrate the desert through creative nonfiction. Entries will focus on the importance of protecting and preserving high desert ecosystems and introduce important conversations about deserts.
At the ceremony, winners will read from their entries, and the High Desert Museum will also announce its official adoption of the prize. The Museum has hosted the prize since it first started in 2014 and, by formally adopting the prize, intends to add depth and reach to the movement by expanding its literary audience. The winner receives a $2,500 cash award as well as a two-week residency at PLAYA, an art and science campus in Summer Lake, Oregon. Free registry to the Zoom ceremony is offered at highdesertmuseum.org/events/waterston.