2026 Francis Bergen Prizes
The Yale Literary Magazine awards the annual Francis Bergen Memorial Prize to the best piece or pieces published by the magazine in the calendar year. This Prize, established in 1923, is the only award that the magazine confers and it recognizes the year's most credible contributions.
Winners of the Bergen Prize are determined by the Editorial Board and Editors-in-Chief. In addition to the honor, the Bergen Prize is associated with a substantial monetary award.
We could not be more thrilled to announce the three joint winners of the 2026 Francis Bergen Memorial Prize: Chloe Shiffman (Fiction, YC ‘26), Morgan Vannell (Poetry, YC ’27), and Liam Hannigan (Poetry, YC ‘26). Congratulations to these writers on their standout work!
Chloe Shiffman
Chloe Shiffman (YC ‘26) is a co-recipient of the 2026 Francis Bergen Memorial Prize for her fiction story, “Western Pennsylvania.”
Chloe Shiffman is a fiction writer based on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Her works explore themes of intersecting American identities and geographies. She is currently writing her first novel, which centers on coming-of-age through modern American urbex, the subculture of breaking into abandoned buildings. You can find more of Chloe's writing at chloeshiffman.com or on Substack at @chloeshiffman.
Morgan Vannell
Morgan Vannell (YC ‘27) is a co-recipient of the 2026 Francis Bergen Memorial Prize for his poem, “More is Needed Than the Leaves at Night.”
Morgan Vannell is an English major in the Morse College class of 2027. He is a Catholic writer from Loudoun County, Virginia.
Liam Hannigan
Liam Hannigan (YC ‘26) is a co-recipient of the 2026 Francis Bergen Memorial Prize for his poem, “St. Brigid’s First Miracle..”
Liam Hannigan is from Donegal in the northwest of Ireland and writes poetry in both Irish and English. He is a recently graduated senior in the History of Art major and will complete a master’s degree in art history at Oxford next year.
