University of Houston Alumnus Bryan Washington Named 2026 MacArthur Fellow

Fiction writer Bryan Washington, a University of Houston alumnus, is among 20 individuals recently named 2026 MacArthur Fellows. This prestigious national recognition from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation celebrates the creative potential of individuals across broad fields, ranging from economists and historians to writers and choreographers.

Washington has received widespread acclaim for his work, which includes the short story collection “Lot” (2019) and the novels “Memorial” (2020), “Family Meal” (2023) and “Palaver” (2025). His writing focuses on the complexity of modern relationships, shaped by a strong sense of place and featuring queer men of color and their inherited and chosen families, according to the foundation.

“This extraordinary honor recognizes the creativity, insight and impact of Mr. Washington's work, which has brought elements of Houston’s communities and stories to readers around the world,” said Daniel O’Connor, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. “We are proud to celebrate this remarkable achievement of a UH alumnus and the inspiration it provides to current and future UH students.”

The 33-year-old’s literary accomplishments include being named a “5 Under 35” honoree by the National Book Foundation, as well as receiving the O. Henry Award and the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence. His debut collection, “Lot,” also garnered the attention of former President Barack Obama, who named it one of his favorite books of the year.

In addition to his books, Washington’s short stories, essays and recipes have been published in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, Granta and the anthology “The Best American Short Stories.”

Looking Back

Washington earned his Bachelor of Arts in English from UH in 2015 before earning his Master of Fine Arts from the University of New Orleans in 2018, according to the foundation. He has also taught in the English department at Rice University.

Growing up in the Houston area helped inspire Washington’s work, with both “Lot” and “Memorial” taking place in the city, as well as portions of “Family Meal.” For the past three years, Washington has been based in Tokyo; his work depicts both the urban sprawl of Houston and his transplant adult life in Japan, according to the foundation.

“[Living in Japan] served as a really expansive and educational base from which to inform my sense of narrative, my sense of the possibilities of relationships and the ways in which people find themselves in communities,” Washington said in a MacArthur Foundation video.

Washington is the fourth UH alumnus to win a MacArthur Fellowship, following poet Jericho Brown in 2024; fiction writer, UH alum and UH professor Cristina Rivera Garza in 2020; and disaster-relief specialist Frederick C. Cuny in 1995.

UH faculty member Rick Lowe, professor of interdisciplinary practice in the Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts, also received a MacArthur Fellowship in 2014 for his work in community-based art, including Project Row Houses.

MacArthur Fellows each receive a “no-strings-attached” $800,000 stipend to support the individual and their work, distributed in quarterly installments over five years.