Ernest Hilbert was awarded a Merrill House Fellowship as part of the 2026-2027 inductees, which include Ange Mlinko and Andrew Neilson, among others. The fellowship allows writers a residency with stipend in the former home of celebrated American poet James Merrill in Stonington, Connecticut.

“It was another highly competitive year with an exceptional pool of applicants. We are deeply grateful to all who applied and to our jurors for the time, care, and thought they put into the selection process. We look forward to welcoming these seven writers to Stonington and to the apartment where James Merrill lived and worked, continuing a literary legacy that has supported writers from around the world. Congratulations to our new fellows. We can’t wait to have you here.”

Hilbert will be in residence at the James Merrill House in August 2027.