# The Ralph Cohen Prize February 20, 2026 The Ralph Cohen Prize was founded in 2010 to honor the achievements of the founder and forty-year editor of New Literary History. It especially acknowledges Ralph Cohen’s longstanding commitment to encouraging and publishing the work of junior scholars. Graduate students, untenured faculty, and independent scholars who have not published an essay in the journal are eligible to submit essays for the competition on any topic appropriate to the aims of New Literary History. They are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the journal’s guidelines and scholarly profile. Contributions should not exceed 9,000 words, including notes, and must include a one-paragraph abstract. Chicago style required. Endnotes are used rather than bibliographies. Essays should not be under consideration elsewhere. The deadline for submissions is June 15, 2026. All submissions should be sent via email to with “Ralph Cohen prize” in the subject line. MS Word preferred. The winner of the award will receive a $2,000 honorarium. The essay will be published in a future issue of New Literary History. Learn more [here](https://newliteraryhistory.org/the-ralph-cohen-prize/). Share on:- [ Facebook ](#) - [ Twitter ](#) - [ Linkedin ](#)