World Literature Today, the University of Oklahoma’s award-winning magazine of international literature and culture, will confer the 2026 Neustadt International Prize for Literature on Palestinian writer Ibrahim Nasrallah during the Neustadt Lit Fest, scheduled Sept. 28–30 on the OU Norman campus. Nasrallah will receive the $50,000 prize, the Neustadt silver feather, and a certificate at a ceremony at the University of Oklahoma.

The public is invited to the festival in Nasrallah’s honor, where Nasrallah and more than a dozen other participating writers, artists and scholars will give presentations about Palestinian literature and culture as well as Middle Eastern history and politics. 

Robert Con Davis-Undiano, WLT’s executive director, commented that “Nasrallah’s winning this award will mark a significant moment in the Western reapproach to Palestinian culture.”

In a special event at 10:30 a.m. on day three of the festival, Nasrallah and translator Nancy Roberts will perform a bilingual reading of his poetry, accompanied by Callen Clarke playing the oud. Nasrallah will give a keynote at 11 a.m. Both events will take place in Meacham Auditorium in Oklahoma Memorial Union, 900 Asp Ave.

All events are free and open to the public. The complete schedule and additional details can be found on the Neustadt website (neustadtprize.org)..

Established in 1927, the World Literature Today organization serves the international, state and university communities by achieving excellence as a literary publication, a sponsor of literary prizes and a humanities center for students. For questions about the prize, the 2026 festival or WLT, contact Terri Stubblefield ([email protected]) or RC Davis-Undiano ([email protected]). For accommodations, please call 405-325-4531.