Aram Mrjoian, a lecturer in English at the University of Michigan and managing editor of the Michigan Quarterly Review, has won Saginaw Valley State University's 2026-2027 Stuart D. and Vernice M. Gross Award for Literature for his debut novel, "Waterline." The award carries a $1,000 prize and recognizes publications with Michigan subject matter or strong Michigan connections.
What the award recognizes
The Gross Award for Literature was established in 1994 by the late Stuart D. Gross and his wife, Vernice, and is administered by SVSU. Since 1997 it has been presented annually, with a few exceptions, to published works in regional history or historical fiction and drama. Winners are chosen by a panel of SVSU faculty and staff, and this year the selection committee chose "Waterline" unanimously.
The novel and its judges' praise
"Waterline" follows four generations of the Kurkjian family. It begins with a grandfather who survived the Armenian genocide during World War I and ends with the youngest members growing up just outside Detroit, on Michigan's Grosse Ile. Each generation contends with that inherited history and with the recent, tragic death of one of the younger family members. The committee praised the book's depth of characterization, its skillful narrative technique and its portrayal of one Armenian family's grief and resilience.
Visit to campus and the author's response
Mrjoian will accept the award in winter 2027 and will visit classes and student groups during his time at SVSU. Reflecting on the honor, he said, "With this being my first book, I had no way of knowing how it would be received, and it's been quite meaningful to find the novel has resonated well with Michigan readers."
The namesake behind the prize
Stuart Gross worked for many years as a journalist with the Saginaw News before joining SVSU's staff and serving in several public affairs roles. Recognized as a regional historian, he wrote books including "Saginaw: A History of the Land and the City," "When Timber was King" and "Where There is a Will." After retiring from SVSU, he wrote and produced a play, "Let's Have Lunch Sometime." He died in 1996, and Vernice Gross died in 2001.