Peter Chilson

Peter Chilson is a Professor of English at Washington State University, specializing in creative writing and literature with expertise in travel writing, African literature, and borderlands studies. His work bridges literary journalism, memoir, and fiction, focusing on West Africa and the American West.

His educational background:

• MFA, Pennsylvania State University, 1994

Chilson's research explores cultural encounters through travel narratives, conflict zones, and immigrant experiences. Drawing from his Peace Corps service in Niger and frontline reporting in Mali's civil war, he examines displacement, jihadist movements, and cross-cultural identity. His scholarship emphasizes literary nonfiction techniques and border theory, particularly in African and American frontier contexts.

His publications consistently address geopolitical narratives through personal immersion, evolving from West African travelogues to conflict journalism in Mali and immigration studies. This trajectory reflects deepening engagement with humanitarian crises and cultural displacement across continents.

His scientific awards and honors include:

• Lewis E and Stella G. Buchanan Distinguished Professor of English
• Peace Corps World Wide 2018 Best Travel Book Award for Writing Abroad
• Finalist for the New Letters Essay Prize 2017
• Finalist for the Kurt Schork Memorial Award in International Journalism 2013
• Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting Grantee 2012
• Best American Sports Writing Notable Essay citation 2011
• Maria Thomas Fiction Prize (2008)
• Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference Fellow in Fiction Writing (2007)
• Katherine Bakeless Nason Prize in Short Fiction (2006)
• Washington State University Buchanan Scholar (2004)
• Five Pushcart Prize Nominations
• Washington State University College of Liberal Arts Fellow (2003)
• Idaho Commission on the Arts Fellow (2004)
• Gulf Coast Fiction Prize (2003)
• two essays in Best American Travel Writing (2003, 2008)
• Best American Travel Writing Notable Essay citation (2001)
• Fishtrap Writer in Residence (2000)
• AWP Book Prize in Nonfiction (1997)
• Fulbright Scholar in Niger, West Africa (1991-92)
• Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference Scholar in Nonfiction Writing (1991)

Chilson has secured significant research funding including a Fulbright Scholarship (1991-92) for Niger fieldwork and Pulitzer Center crisis reporting grants (2012) for Mali conflict documentation. His graduate mentorship spans creative nonfiction workshops, African literature seminars, and borderlands pedagogy, shaping emerging writers through narrative craft and cross-cultural analysis.