Hmong American poet Mai Der Vang has been awarded the prestigious national 2016 Walt Whitman Award, which is given annually by the Academy of American Poets for an outstanding debut poetry book.
Hmong American poet Mai Der Vang wins prize for best debut
Vang will receive a $5,000 cash prize and her submitted manuscript, titled Afterland, will be published in April 2017 by Graywolf Press. In addition, she'll receive an all-expenses-paid six-week residency at the Civitella Ranieri Center in the Umbrian region of Italy.
