Rilla Askew

Rilla Askew is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at the University of Oklahoma. She holds a BFA in Theatre Performance from the University of Tulsa (1980) and an MFA in Creative Writing from Brooklyn College (1987). Her research interests include Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Oklahoma History, and Early Modern Women Writers. She has taught in prestigious MFA programs at Brooklyn College, Syracuse University, and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

Askew’s award-winning works include novels like Fire in Beulah (American Book Award), Harpsong (7 literary awards), and Prize for the Fire (2022), which reimagines the life of Anne Askew. Her nonfiction collection Most American critically examines Oklahoma’s racial history, earning PEN/America recognition.

Her accolades span the Arts and Letters Award (2009), Arrell Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award (2011), and multiple Oklahoma Book Awards. Askew’s essays appear in journals like Nimrod, Tin House, and World Literature Today. She remains an active voice in literary communities through public lectures and podcast discussions.