Aspen Words Winner Announced

“Endling” is an audacious novel about people fighting many different kinds of extinction. Part metafiction, part war chronicle, part absurdist picaresque, Maria Reva’s book begins with an ecological adventure in pre-war Ukraine involving, of all things, a critically endangered snail species. But the tale soon takes on metafictional twists and turns as real-life Russian tanks and soldiers invade the country. “Endling” becomes a story about women scrambling to save themselves, their families and their country—while also growing into a joyful and astonishing celebration of the novel itself, a literary form given new life and urgency by this groundbreaking, utterly unique work.
– 2026 Aspen Words Literary Prize

Read more about the prize at the Aspen Words web site.