El Grand Balam

El Grand Balam, sometimes referred to as The Borchard Prize, provides a mid-career writer with $150,000 support over three years. The award’s title reflects the multicultural and multilinguistic emphasis of the center. "“Balam” is the Yucatec and Tzeltal dialect pronunciations of the Mayan word for jaguar, a sacred animal to the Maya people. Recipients of the award will have an established publication history, will have received significant critical praise, and will demonstrate the promise of future accomplishment. Winners are strongly encouraged to attend the San Cristóbal de las Casas Literary Retreat and Encuentro in each of the three years of the award, with a formal award ceremony and celebration to be held during the first year to recognize the recipient’s achievement.

There is no application for this award. Potential candidates are selected from the public by the Nominating Committee during winter and spring. The Committee then proposes a winner and two potential alternates to the Foundation Board of Directors for final approval in May. The winner is announced in August. Only citizens or residents of Canada, Mexico, and the United States are eligible.