Raven Chronicles Press announces the 2026 Keepers of the Fire Prize for fiction and nonfiction manuscripts. Chosen authors will receive an award of $1,000, September 2026 Publication of  their book, and 50% net revenues of sales of their book. 

We seek manuscripts for publication in Fall 2026—

Theme: Work / Jobs & AI. 

With the wide use of AI, the nature and character of work might change the future of humankind.

Each year we will publish two books, one fiction (speculative, utopian, historical, etc.), and one nonfiction (creative nonfiction, memoir, scientific, historical, etc.). A new theme will be chosen each year. 

Fiction Judge:   Paul Hunter
Nonfiction Judge:   Rebecca Mabanglo-Mayor

Fiction/Speculative Fiction: Explore a character’s real conflict—in an ordinary job, a profession, a vocation, or a calling—that takes into account AI. What is AI’s impact on human relationships?  

Nonfiction: Given AI and global automation, consider the nature and likely future of work/jobs—in an ordinary job, a profession, a vocation, or a calling. Explore the likely changes, advantages and pitfalls. What is gained or lost? What might be best or worst use of the new technologies?

We can’t wait to hear your stories!

Paul Hunter’s poems have appeared in numerous journals as well as in ten full-length books and three chapbooks He was a featured poet on The News Hour and has taught at the University of Washington, the Overlake School, and the Skagit River Poetry Festival His first collec- tion of farming poems, Breaking Ground, 2004, from Silverfish Review Press, was reviewed in The New York Times, and received the 2004 Washington State Book Award. Three companion volumes followed, all from Silverfish Review Press: Ripening, 2007, Come the Harvest, 2008, and Stubble Field, 2012. Davila Art & Books, Sisters, Oregon, published his book of prose poetry, Clownery, In lieu of a life spent in harness, 2017, and both novels Sit a Tall Horse, 2020 (2020 Will Rog- ers Medallion Award for Western Short Stories), and Mr. Brick & the Boys, 2022. Forthcoming is a book of farming poetry, Love on Starry Dark Farm (Silverfish Review Press).

Rebecca Mabanglo-Mayor received her MFA in Creative Writing from Pacific Lutheran University in 2012, her MA degree in English with honors from Western Washington University in 2003, and her BA in Humanities from Washington State University in 1998. Her non-fic- tion,poetry, and short fiction have appeared in print and online in sev- eral journals and anthologies, including Katipunan Literary Magazine, Growing Up Filipino II: More Stories for Young Adults, Kuwento: Small Things, and Beyond Lumpia, Pansit, and Seven Manangs Wild: An An- thology. Her poetry chapbook Pause Mid-Flight was published in 2010. She is the co-editor of True Stories: The Narrative Project Vols. I, II, III, and IV, and her poetry and essays have been collected in Dancing Between Bamboo Poles and This Uncommon Solitude:Pandemic Poetry from the Pacific Northwest. She has been performing as a storyteller since 2006, and specializes in stories based on Filipino folktales and Filipino-American history.