Recent Winners Academy of American Poets
Emily Skaja of Cincinnati won the 2018 Walt Whitman Award for her poetry collection, Brute. She received $5,000; a six-week all-expenses-paid residency at the Civitella Ranieri Center in Umbria, Italy; and publication of her book by Graywolf Press in April 2019. Her work will also be featured on the Academy of American Poets website and in American Poets magazine, and copies of her book will be distributed to thousands of Academy members. Joy Harjo judged. The annual award is given to a poet who has not published a poetry collection in a standard edition. The next deadline is November 1. Academy of American Poets, Walt Whitman Award, 75 Maiden Lane, Suite 901, New York, NY 10038. (212) 274-0343, ext. 13. awards@poets.org www.poets.org/academy-american-poets/prizes /walt-whitman-award
American Academy of Arts and Letters
LITERATURE AWARDS
Fifteen writers received awards in literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Fiction writer Jon McGregor of Nottingham, England, received the $20,000 E. M. Forster Award, given annually to a young writer from the United Kingdom or Ireland for a stay in the United States; Alison Lurie and Colm Tóibín judged. Fiction writer Noy Holland of Amherst, Massachusetts, received the $20,000 Katherine Anne Porter Award, given biennially to a prose writer who has demonstrated significant achievement. Fiction writer Atticus Lish of New York City received the $20,000 Harold D. Vursell Memorial Award, given annually to an exceptional prose writer. Hannah Lillith Assadi of New York City won the $10,000 Rosenthal Family Foundation Award for her novel, Sonora (Soho Press). The annual award honors a book published in the previous year. Bill Porter, who writes under the pen name Red
Pine, of Port Townsend, Washington, won the $20,000 Thornton Wilder
Prize for Translation, given biennially to a translator, scholar, or patron who has made a significant contribution to the art of literary translation. Nonfiction writer Elaine Scarry of Cambridge, Massachusetts, received the $10,000 Morton Dauwen Zabel Award, given biennially to a poet, fiction writer, or nonfiction writer of progressive, original, and experimental work. Arts and Letters Awards in Literature were given to poets Ishion Hutchinson of Ithaca, New York, and Brenda Shaughnessy of Verona, New Jersey; fiction writers Mary Gaitskill and Rick Moody, both of New York City, Marlon James of Minneapolis, and Mary Robison of Gainesville, Florida; nonfiction writer Kay Redfield Jamison of Baltimore; and translator and nonfiction writer Clare Cavanagh of Chicago. They each received $10,000. The annual awards are given to poets, fiction writers, nonfiction writers, and translators to “honor exceptional accomplishment in literature.” Emily Fridlund of Ithaca, New York, received the $5,000 Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction for her novel, History of Wolves (Atlantic Monthly Press). The annual award honors a debut book of fiction published in the previous year. The awards are given by members of the Academy; this year’s selection committee members were Russell Banks, Henri Cole, Amy Hempel, Anne Tyler, and Joy Williams. There is no application process. American Academy of Arts and Letters, 633 West 155th Street, New York, NY 10032. (212) 368-5900.
www.artsandletters.org
American Poetry Review
HONICKMAN FIRST BOOK PRIZE
Jacob Saenz of Chicago won the 2018 APR/Honickman First Book Prize for his poetry collection, Throwing the Crown. He received $3,000, and his collection will be published in September by American Poetry Review with distribution by Copper Canyon Press through Consortium. Gregory Pardlo judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection by a writer who has
not published a book of poems. The next deadline is October 31.
American Poetry Review, Honickman First Book Prize, 320 South Broad Street, Hamilton #313, Philadelphia, PA 19102.
www.aprweb.org
Ashland Creek Press
SISKIYOU PRIZE
Diana Hartel of Phoenicia, New York, won the 2017 Siskiyou Prize for New Environmental Literature for her essay collection “Watershed Redemption: Journey in Time on Five U.S. Watersheds.” She received $1,000 and a residency at the PLAYA Writers and Artists Retreat in Lake County, Oregon. Jonathan Balcombe judged. The annual award is given for a book of fiction or nonfiction that focuses on the environment, animal protection, ecology, or wildlife. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set. Ashland Creek Press, Siskiyou Prize, 2305 Ashland Street, Suite C417, Ashland, OR 97520. John Yunker, Editor. editors@ashlandcreekpress.com
siskiyouprize.com
Barnes & Noble
DISCOVER AWARDS
Patty Yumi Cottrell of New York City won the 2017 Discover Award in Fiction for her novel, Sorry to Disrupt the Peace (McSweeney’s). She received $30,000. Megan Hunter of Cambridge, England, won the $15,000 second-place prize for her novel, The End We Start From (Grove), and Lisa Ko of New York City won the $7,500 third-place prize for her novel, The Leavers (Algonquin Books). Lauren Groff, Tayari Jones, and David L. Ulin judged. Jessica Bruder of New York City won the $30,000 Discover Award in Nonfiction for her book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century (W. W. Norton). Leah Carroll of New York City won the $15,000 second-place prize for her memoir, Down City: A Daughter’s Story of Love, Memory, and Murder (Grand Central), and Michael W. Twitty of Silver Spring, Maryland, won the $7,500 third-place prize for his book, The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South (Amistad Books). Dana Goodyear, Rob Sheffield, and Darin Strauss judged. The annual awards are given for works of fiction and nonfiction published in the previous year and featured in Barnes & Noble’s Discover Great New Writers program. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set. Barnes & Noble, Discover Awards,
122 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011. (212) 633-4067. Miwa Messer, Director. mmesser@bn.com
www.bn.com/discover
Bronx Council on the Arts
BRIO AWARDS
Poets Joe Caliguire, Americo Casiano,
Amy Gottlieb, and Matthew Thorburn; fiction writers Lauren Shapiro and Marcus Williams; and nonfiction writer Ann Lapin, all of New York City, received 2017 BRIO Awards. They each received $4,000. The annual grants are given to writers who reside in the Bronx in New York City. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set. Bronx Council on the Arts, BRIO Awards, 1738 Hone Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461. (718) 931-9500. brio@bronxarts.org
www.bronxarts.org/brio.asp
Center for Literary Publishing
COLORADO PRIZE FOR POETRY
Gillian Cummings of White Plains, New York, won the 24th annual Colorado Prize for Poetry for her poetry collection The Owl Was a Baker’s Daughter. She received $2,000, and her book will be published in November by the Center for Literary Publishing at Colorado State University. John Yau judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. The next deadline is January 14, 2019. Center for Literary Publishing, Colorado Prize for Poetry, Colorado State University, 9105 Campus Delivery,
Ft. Collins, CO 80523. (970) 491-5449. Stephanie G’Schwind, Director.
coloradoprize.colostate.edu
Claremont Graduate University
TUFTS POETRY AWARDS
Patricia Smith of Howell, New Jersey, won the 26th annual Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award for her poetry collection Incendiary Art (TriQuarterly Books, 2017). Smith received $100,000 and a weeklong appointment as poetin-residence at Claremont Graduate University. The annual award is given for a book of poetry by a midcareer poet published in the previous year. Donika Kelly of Olean, New York, won the 25th annual Kate Tufts Discovery Award for her poetry collection, Bestiary (Graywolf Press, 2016). Kelly received $10,000. The annual award is given for a first book of poetry published in the previous year. The judges for both awards were Elena Karina Byrne, Terrance Hayes, Khadijah Queen, Don Share, and Sandy Solomon. The next deadline is July 1. Claremont Graduate University, Tufts Poetry Awards, 160 East 10th Street, Harper East B7, Claremont, CA 91711. (909) 621-8974. tufts@cgu.edu
www.cgu.edu/tufts
Cleveland Foundation
ANISFIELD-WOLF BOOK AWARDS
Shane McCrae of New York City won the 83rd annual Anisfield-Wolf Book Award in poetry for his collection In the Language of My Captor (Wesleyan University Press). Jesmyn Ward of DeLisle, Mississippi, won the award in fiction for her novel Sing, Unburied, Sing (Scribner). Kevin Young of New York City won the award in nonfiction for his book Bunk: The Rise of Hoaxes, Humbug, Plagiarists, Phonies, Post-Facts, and Fake News (Graywolf). Poet, fiction writer, and nonfiction writer N. Scott Momaday of Santa Fe, New Mexico, won the Lifetime Achievement Award. They each received $10,000. Rita Dove, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Joyce Carol Oates, Steven Pinker, and Simon Schama judged. The annual awards are given to honor books of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction published in the previous year that “confront racism and examine diversity.” The next deadline is December 31. Cleveland Foundation, Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards, 1422 Euclid Avenue, Suite 1300, Cleveland, OH 44115. (216) 685-2018.
www.anisfield-wolf.org
Codhill Press
POETRY AWARD
Danielle Hanson of Atlanta won the 2017 Codhill Press Poetry Award for her collection Fraying Edge of Sky. She received $1,000, publication of her book by Codhill Press, and 25 author copies. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. The next deadline is December 30. Codhill Press, Poetry Award, P.O. Box 280, Bloomington, NY 12411. Pauline Uchmanowicz, Contest Coordinator.
www.codhill.com
Comstock Review
MURIEL CRAFT BAILEY AWARD
Paola Bruni of Aptos, California, won the 2017 Muriel Craft Bailey Award for her poem “Confections.” She received $1,000 and publication in Comstock Review. Ellen Bass judged. The annual award is given for a single poem. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.
Comstock Review, Muriel Craft Bailey Award, 4956 Saint John Drive, Syracuse, NY 13215. Betsy Anderson, Managing Editor.
www.comstockreview.org
Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales
POETRY PRIZE
Beth Copeland of Gibson, North Carolina, won the 2017 Dogfish Head Poetry Prize for her poetry collection Blue Honey. She received $500, publication by Broadkill River Press, and ten author copies. She also received lodging expenses to give a reading at the Dogfish Inn in Lewes, Delaware. Destiny Birdsong, Christopher Salerno, and Michael Dwayne Smith judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection written by a poet living in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, or Washington D.C.
(SEE DEADLINES.) Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales, Poetry Prize, c/o Broadkill River Press, P.O. Box 63, Milton, DE 19968. Linda Blaskey, Contest Coordinator. dogfishheadpoetryprize@earthlink.net www.thebroadkillriverpress.com /dogfish-head-poetry-prize
Dogwood
LITERARY PRIZES
Kim Garcia of Boston won the 2018 Prize in Poetry for her poem “Early Marriage, 1982, Endless Rain.” Landon Houle of Florence, South Carolina, won the Prize in Fiction for her story “There You
Are.” Misha Rai of Gambier, Ohio, won the Prize in Nonfiction for her essay
“To Learn About Smoke One Must
First Light a Fire.” They each received $1,000 and their works were published in the 2018 edition of Dogwood. Gillian Conoley judged in poetry, Nicholas Montemarano judged in fiction, and Patrick Phillips judged in nonfiction. The annual awards are given for a poem,
a short story, and an essay. (SEE DEADLINES.)
Dogwood, Literary Prizes, Fairfield University, English Department, 1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield, CT 06824. (203) 254-4000, ext. 2565.
Carol Ann Davis, Editor. cdavis13@fairfield.edu
www.dogwoodliterary.com
Fish Publishing
FLASH FICTION PRIZE
Fiona J. Mackintosh of Silver Spring, Maryland, won the 2018 Flash Fiction Prize for her story “The Chemistry of Living Things.” She received €1,000 (approximately $1,200) and publication in the 2018 Fish Anthology. Sherrie Flick judged. The annual award is given for a work of flash fiction. The next deadline is February 28, 2019.
SHORT MEMOIR PRIZE
Marion Molteno of London won the 2018 Short Memoir Prize for her essay “What Was Once a City.” She received €1,000 (approximately $1,200) and publication in the 2018 Fish Anthology. Marti Leimbach judged. The annual award is given for an essay. The next deadline is January 31, 2019. Fish Publishing, Durrus, Bantry, County Cork, Ireland. Clem Cairns, Editor. info@fishpublishing.com
www.fishpublishing.com
Friends of American Writers
LITERATURE AWARDS
Lesley Nneka Arimah of Minneapolis and Nickolas Butler of Cleghorn, Wisconsin, won the 2017–2018 Friends of American Writers Literature Awards. Arimah won for her story collection, What It Means When a Man Falls From the Sky (Riverhead Books), and Butler won for his novel The Hearts of Men (Ecco). They each received $2,500, and were honored at a ceremony in Chicago. The annual awards are given for books of prose published in the previous year by writers with strong Midwestern ties who have not published more than three books. The next deadline for nominations is December 10. Friends of American Writers, Literature Awards, 474 Stagecoach Run,
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137.
www.fawchicago.org/awards.php
Glimmer Train Press
VERY SHORT FICTION AWARD
Corey Flintoff of Cheverly, Maryland, won the Very Short Fiction Award for “Early Stages.” He received $2,000, and his story will be published in Issue 103 of Glimmer Train Stories. The editors judged. The award is given twice yearly for a short short story. (SEE DEADLINES.) Glimmer Train Press, Very Short Fiction Award, 4763 SW Maplewood Road, P.O. Box 80430, Portland, OR 97280. (503) 221-0836. Susan Burmeister-Brown and Linda Swanson-Davies, Coeditors.
www.glimmertrain.com
Great Lakes Colleges Association
NEW WRITERS AWARDS
Chen Chen of Rochester, New York, won the 2018 New Writers Award in poetry for his collection, When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities (BOA Editions, 2017). Emily Fridlund of Ithaca, New York, won in fiction for her novel, History of Wolves (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2017). Hilary Plum of Cleveland won in creative nonfiction for her memoir, Watchfires (Rescue Press, 2017). The winners each receive a travel stipend and an honorarium of $500 per visit to several of the Great Lakes Colleges Association’s 13 member colleges, where they will give readings, meet with students, and lead classes. Derek Mong, Pablo Peschiera, and Ann Townsend judged in poetry; Andy Mozina, Robert Olmstead, and Lili Wright judged in fiction; and Amy Butcher, Nels Christensen, and Jaquira Diaz judged in creative nonfiction. The annual awards are given for first books of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set. Great Lakes Colleges Association,
New Writers Awards, 535 West William Street, Suite 301, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. Gregory Wegner, Director of Program Development. wegner@glca.org
www.glca.org/glcaprograms/new-writers-award
Grid Books
OFF THE GRID POETRY PRIZE
Karen Whalley of Port Angeles, Washington, won the 2018 Off the Grid Poetry Prize for her collection My Own Name Seems Strange to Me. She received $1,000, and her book was published by Off the Grid Press. Elaine Terranova judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection by a poet over the age of 60. (SEE DEADLINES.) Grid Books, Off the Grid Poetry Prize, 86 Glendower Road, Boston, MA 02131. info@grid-books.org
www.grid-books.org/off-the-grid-press
Indiana Review
“1/2 K” PRIZE
Latifa Ayad of Columbus, Ohio, won the 2017 “1/2 K” Prize for her short short story “Arabic Lesson.” She received $1,000, and her story was published in Indiana Review. Donika Kelly judged. The annual award is given for a poem or a work of short prose of up to 500 words. (SEE DEADLINES.)
Indiana Review, “1/2 K” Prize, Indiana University, Ballantine Hall 529, 1020
East Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47405. Essence London, Associate Editor.
indianareview.org/contests
Jewish Book Council NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD FOR POETRY
Alicia Suskin Ostriker of New York City won the 2017 National Jewish Book Award for Poetry for her collection Waiting for the Light (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2017). She received $1,000 and promotion of the book through the Jewish Book Council. The annual award is given for a book of poetry with Jewish themes. The next deadline is October 5. Jewish Book Council, National Jewish Book Award for Poetry, 520 8th Avenue, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10018.
(212) 201-2920. Naomi Firestone-Teeter, Executive Director. njba@jewishbooks.org
www.jewishbookcouncil.org
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
WRITING FELLOWSHIPS
Twenty-three writers received 2018 Guggenheim Fellowships in creative writing. The fellows in poetry are Reginald Dwayne Betts of New Haven, Connecticut; Amy Gerstler of Los Angeles; Tyehimba Jess and Monica Youn of New York City; Ilya Kaminsky of San Diego; Joan Naviyuk Kane of Anchorage, Alaska; Dunya Mikhail of Sterling Heights, Michigan; Srikanth Reddy of Chicago; and Anya Krugovoy Silver of Macon, Georgia. The fellows in fiction are Rachel Cusk of Norfolk, England; Andrew Sean Greer of San Francisco; Lauren Groff of Gainesville, Florida;
Jennifer Haigh of Boston; Min Jin Lee of New York City; China Miéville of London; and Deb Olin Unferth of Austin, Texas. The fellows in creative nonfiction are Nicholson Baker of Veazie, Maine; Teju Cole and Lily Tuck of New York City; Robert Finch of Wellfleet, Massachusetts; Roxane Gay of Los Angeles; Jane Kamensky of Cambridge, Massachusetts; and John Jeremiah Sullivan of Wilmington, North Carolina. The $50,000 fellowships are given annually in recognition of “achievement and exceptional promise.” The next deadline is September 18. John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, Writing Fellowships, 90 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016. (212) 687-4470.
www.gf.org
Langum Charitable Trust PRIZE FOR AMERICAN HISTORICAL FICTION
Laurel Davis Huber of Rumson, New Jersey, won the 2017 David J. Langum
Sr. Prize for American Historical Fiction for her novel, The Velveteen Daughter
(She Writes Press). She received $1,000. The annual award is given for a work of historical fiction published in the previous year that “helps to make the rich history of America accessible to the general reader.” The next deadline is December 1. Langum Charitable Trust, Prize for American Historical Fiction, 2809 Berkeley Drive, Birmingham, AL 35242. djlangum@samford.edu www.langumtrust.org/about-prizes/american -historical-fiction
Lynx House Press
BLUE LYNX PRIZE FOR POETRY
Marc Harshman of Wheeling, West Virginia, won the 2017 Blue Lynx Prize for Poetry for his collection Woman in Red Anorak. He received $2,000, and his book will be published by Lynx House Press. John Hodgen judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set. Lynx House Press, Blue Lynx Prize for Poetry, P.O. Box 940, Spokane, WA 99210. (509) 624-4894. lynxhousepress@gmail.com
www.lynxhousepress.org
Measure Press
HOWARD NEMEROV SONNET AWARD
Carol Frith of Sacramento, California, won the 2017 Howard Nemerov Sonnet Award for “Dying Firethorn.” She received $1,000 and publication of her poem in Measure: A Review of Formal Poetry. Dana Gioia judged. The annual award, cosponsored by the Formalist, was given for a sonnet. The prize has been discontinued. Measure Press, c/o the Formalist, 21 Osborne Terrace, Wayne, NY 07470.
www.measurepress.com/measure
Michigan Quarterly Review
LITERARY PRIZES
Hananah Zaheer of Dubai won the 40th annual Lawrence Foundation Prize for her story “In the Days of Old Things,” which appeared in the Spring 2017 issue of Michigan Quarterly Review. She received $1,000. The journal’s editorial board judged. Bruce Bond of Denton, Texas, won the 16th annual Laurence Goldstein Poetry Prize for his poem “Lorca,” which appeared in the Spring 2017 issue of Michigan Quarterly Review. He received $500. A. Van Jordan judged. The annual awards are given for a short story and a poem published in Michigan Quarterly Review in the previous year. There is no application process.
PAGE DAVIDSON CLAYTON PRIZE
Michael Lavers of Provo, Utah, won the ninth annual Page Davidson Clayton Prize for Emerging Poets for his poem “How to Die, and When,” which appeared in the Spring 2017 issue of Michigan Quarterly Review. He received $500. The editors judged. The annual award is given for a poem or group of poems published in Michigan Quarterly Review by a poet who has not published a book at the time of publication in the journal. There is no application process.
Michigan Quarterly Review, University of Michigan, 0576 Rackham Building, 915 East Washington Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. mqr@umich.edu
www.michiganquarterlyreview.com
National Book Critics Circle
BOOK AWARDS
Layli Long Soldier of Santa Fe, New Mexico, received the 2017 National Book Critics Circle Award in poetry for her collection, WHEREAS (Graywolf). The finalists were Nuar Alsadir of New York City for Fourth Person Singular (Oxford University Press); James Longenbach of Rochester, New York, for Earthling
(W. W. Norton); Frank Ormsby of
Belfast for The Darkness of Snow (Wake Forest University Press); and Ana Ristovic of Belgrade, Serbia, for Directions for Use (Zephyr Press), translated from the Serbian by Steven Teref and Maja Teref. Joan Silber of New York City received the fiction award for her novel Improvement (Counterpoint Press). The finalists were Mohsin Hamid of Lahore, Pakistan, for Exit West (Riverhead);
Alice McDermott of Baltimore for The Ninth Hour (Farrar, Straus and Giroux); Arundhati Roy of Delhi, India, for The Ministry of Utmost Happiness (Knopf); and Jesmyn Ward of DeLisle, Mississippi, for Sing, Unburied, Sing (Scribner). Xiaolu Guo of London and Berlin received the autobiography award for her memoir, Nine Continents: A Memoir In and Out of China (Grove). The finalists were Thi Bui of Berkeley, California, for The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir (Abrams); Roxane Gay of Los Angeles for Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body (Harper); Henry Marsh of London for Admissions: Life as a Brain Surgeon (Thomas Dunne Books/ St. Martins); and Ludmilla Petrushevskaya of Moscow for The Girl From the Metropol Hotel: Growing Up in Communist Russia (Penguin), translated from the Russian by Anna Summers. Frances FitzGerald of New York City won the nonfiction award for her book The Evangelicals: The Struggle to Shape America (Simon & Schuster). The finalists were Jack E. Davis of Gainesville, Florida, for The Gulf: The Making of An American Sea (Liveright); Masha Gessen of New York City for The Future Is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia (Riverhead); Kapka Kassabova of Invernessshire, Scotland, for Border: A Journey to the Edge of Europe (Graywolf); and Adam Rutherford of London for A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived: The Human Story Retold Through Our Genes (The Experiment). Carina Chocano of Los Angeles received the criticism award for her book You Play the Girl: On Playboy Bunnies, Stepford Wives, Trainwrecks, & Other Mixed Messages (Mariner). The finalists were Edwidge Danticat of Miami for The Art of Death: Writing the Final Story (Graywolf); Camille T. Dungy of Fort Collins, Colorado, for Guidebook to Relative Strangers: Journeys Into Race, Motherhood, and History (W. W. Norton); Valeria Luiselli of New York City for
Tell Me How it Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions (Coffee House Press); and
Kevin Young of New York City for Bunk: The Rise of Hoaxes, Humbug, Plagiarists, Phonies, Post-Facts and Fake News (Graywolf). The National Book Critics Circle, a professional organization composed of 700 book critics and reviewers from across the country, select the winners of the annual awards, which honor books of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction published in the previous year. The next deadline is December 1.
JOHN LEONARD PRIZE
Carmen Maria Machado of Philadelphia won the John Leonard Prize for her story collection, Her Body and Other Parties (Graywolf). The annual award is given for a first book in any genre. There is no application process. National Book Critics Circle, 160 Varick Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10013. info@bookcritics.org
bookcritics.org
New Millennium Writings
NEW MILLENNIUM AWARDS
Mary Makofske of Warwick, New York, won the 2018 New Millennium Poetry Award for “Doldrums Near the End of Empire.” Evan McMurry of New York City won the Fiction Prize for “Nothing Kinky.” Adam Sifre of Wayne, New Jersey, won the Flash Fiction Prize for “Papa’s Parrot.” Anne Gudger of Portland, Oregon, won the Nonfiction Prize for “Dendrites.” They each received $1,000, and their winning works will be published in New Millennium Writings and on the journal’s website. The awards are given twice yearly for a poem, a short story, a short short story, and an essay. (SEE DEADLINES.)
New Millennium Writings, New Millennium Awards, 4021 Garden Drive, Knoxville, TN 37918.
Alexis Williams Carr, Editor.
www.newmillenniumwritings.org
North Carolina Writers’ Network ROSE POST CREATIVE NONFICTION COMPETITION
Elaine Thomas of Wilmington, North Carolina, won the 2018 Rose Post Creative Nonfiction Competition for her essay “Upper Outer Quadrant.” She received $1,000, and her essay will be considered for publication in Ecotone. Benjamin Rachlin judged. The annual award is given for an essay that
“is outside the realm of conventional
journalism and has relevance to North Carolinians.” The next deadline is January 15, 2019. North Carolina Writers’ Network, Rose Post Creative Nonfiction Competition, P.O. Box 21591, Winston-Salem, NC 27120. Ed Southern, Contact. ed@ncwriters.org
www.ncwriters.org
Omnidawn Publishing SINGLE POEM BROADSIDE POETRY CONTEST
Beatrice Szymkowiak of Portland, Oregon, won the 2017 Single Poem Broadside Poetry Prize for “Yangtze Baiji Expedition Log.” She received $1,000, publication of her poem as a broadside by Omnidawn Publishing and online on Omniverse, and 50 author copies. Craig Santos Perez judged. The annual award is given for a single poem. (SEE DEADLINES .) Omnidawn Publishing, Single Poem Broadside Poetry Contest, 1632 Elm Avenue, Richmond, CA 94805.
(510) 237-5472. Rusty Morrison and Ken Keegan, Coeditors. submissions@omnidawn.com
www.omnidawn.com
PEN America
EMERGING VOICES FELLOWSHIPS
Five writers received 2018 Emerging Voices Fellowships from PEN Center USA. They are poet Jubi Arriola-Headley of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; fiction writers Ron L. Dowell, Angela M. Sanchez, and Francisco Uribe, all of Los Angeles; and creative nonfiction writer Natalie Mislang Mann of Los Angeles. They each received $1,000, and will participate in a mentorship program with a professional writer, as well as public readings and other programming in Los Angeles. The annual awards are given to emerging poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers.
(SEE DEADLINES.) PEN America, Emerging Voices Fellowships, 588 Broadway, New York, NY 10012. info@pen.org
www.pen.org/emerging-voices-fellowship
PEN/Faulkner Foundation
AWARD FOR FICTION
Joan Silber of New York City won the 2018 PEN/Faulkner Award for her novel Improvement (Counterpoint Press). She received $15,000. The finalists were Hernan Diaz of New York City for his
novel, In the Distance (Coffee House Press); Samantha Hunt of New York
City for her story collection, The Dark Dark (FSG Originals); Achy Obejas of Oakland for her story collection The Tower of the Antilles (Akashic Books); and Jesmyn Ward of DeLisle, Mississippi, for her novel Sing, Unburied, Sing (Scribner). They each received $5,000. Andrea Barrett, Stacey D’Erasmo, and Alex Espinoza judged. The annual award is given for a work of fiction by a U.S. writer published in the previous year. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set. PEN/Faulkner Foundation, Award for Fiction, 641 South Street, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001. (202) 898-9063. awards@penfaulkner.org
www.penfaulkner.org/award-for-fiction
Perugia Press
PERUGIA PRESS PRIZE
Megan Peak of Fort Worth, Texas, won the 2018 Perugia Press Prize for her poetry collection, Girldom. She received $1,000, and her book will be published by Perugia Press in September. The annual award is given for a first or second book of poetry by a woman. The next deadline is November 15. Perugia Press, Perugia Press Prize, P.O. Box 60364, Florence, MA 01062. Rebecca Olander, Director.
www.perugiapress.com
phren-Z
MORTON MARCUS POETRY CONTEST
Elizabeth Dutton of Cheraw, South Carolina, won the 2017 Morton Marcus Poetry Contest for her poem “Native Daughter of the Golden West.” She received $1,000, publication of her poem in phren-Z, and an invitation to read at the 2018 Morton Marcus Poetry Reading at the University of California in Santa Cruz in November. Ellen Bass judged. The annual award is given for a poem. (SEE DEADLINES.)
phren-Z, Morton Marcus Poetry Contest, 184 Kenny Court, Santa Cruz, CA 95065. Jory Post, Cofounder. jory@cruzio.com
phren-z.org/poetry_contest.html
Ploughshares
ALICE HOFFMAN PRIZE FOR FICTION
Victor LaValle of New York City won the 2017 Alice Hoffman Prize for Fiction for his short story “Spectral Evidence,” which was published in the Summer 2017 issue of Ploughshares. He received $1,000. Alice Hoffman judged. The annual award is given to a work of fiction published in the journal in the previous year. There is no application process.
Ploughshares, 120 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116. (617) 824-3757. Ellen Duffer, Managing Editor. pshares@pshares.org
www.pshares.org
Poetry Society of America
FOUR QUARTETS PRIZE
Danez Smith of Minneapolis won the inaugural Four Quartets Prize for the sequence of poems “summer, somewhere,” from the collection Don’t Call Us Dead (Graywolf, 2017). Smith received $20,000. The finalists were Geoffrey G. O’Brien of Berkeley, California, for “Experience in Groups” from the collection Experience in Groups (Wave, 2018), and Kathleen Peirce of San Marcos, Texas, for Vault (New Michigan Press, 2017). They finalists received $1,000. The annual award, cosponsored by the T. S. Eliot Foundation, is given for a unified and complete sequence of poems published in the United States in the previous two years. Linda Gregerson, Ishion Hutchinson, and Jana Prikryl judged. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.
FROST MEDAL
Ron Padgett of New York City won the 2018 Frost Medal. Padgett, whose most recent poetry collection is Alone and Not Alone (Coffee House Press, 2015), received $5,000. The annual award is given by the Poetry Society of America Board of Governors to recognize “distinguished lifetime achievement in American poetry.” There is no application process. Poetry Society of America, 15 Gramercy Park South, New York, NY 10003.
www.poetrysociety.org
Poets & Writers, Inc.
JACKSON POETRY PRIZE
John Yau of New York City won the twelfth annual Jackson Poetry Prize. Yau, whose most recent book is Further Bijoux in the Dark (Letter Machine Editions, 2018), received $60,000. Laura Kasischke, Robin Coste Lewis, and Arthur Sze judged. The annual award is given to “an American poet of exceptional talent who deserves wider recognition.” There is no application process. Poets & Writers, Inc., 90 Broad Street, Suite 2100, New York, NY 10004.
(212) 226-3586.
www.pw.org
Pulitzer Prizes
PRIZES IN LETTERS
Frank Bidart of Cambridge, Massachusetts, won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize in poetry for Half-light: Collected Poems 1965–2016 (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). The finalists were Evie Shockley of New Brunswick, New Jersey, for semiautomatic (Wesleyan University Press) and Patricia Smith of Howell, New Jersey, for Incendiary Art (TriQuarterly Books). David Baker, Alison Hawthorne Deming, and Thomas Lynch judged. Andrew Sean Greer of San Francisco won the prize in fiction for his novel Less (Lee Boudreaux Books). The finalists were Elif Batuman of New York City for The Idiot (Penguin Press) and Hernan Diaz of New York
City for In the Distance (Coffee House Press). Leah Hager Cohen, Elizabeth McCracken, and Nancy Pearl judged. Caroline Fraser of Santa Fe, New Mexico, won the prize in biography for her book Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder (Metropolitan Books). The finalists were John A. Farrell of Washington, D.C., for Richard Nixon: The Life (Doubleday) and Kay Redfield Jamison of Baltimore for Robert Lowell, Setting the River on Fire: A Study of Genius, Mania, and Character (Knopf). Annette Gordon-Reed, Gilbert King, and Amy Wilentz judged. James Forman Jr. of
New Haven, Connecticut, won the prize in general nonfiction for Locking Up
Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). The finalists were Suzy Hansen of Istanbul for Notes on a Foreign Country: An American Abroad in a Post-American World (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) and Richard O. Prum of New Haven, Connecticut, for The Evolution of Beauty: How Darwin’s Forgotten Theory of Mate Choice Shapes the Animal World—and Us (Doubleday). Laurent Dubois, Ann Fabian, and Elizabeth Kolbert judged. The winners each received $15,000. The annual awards honor books by U.S. writers published in the United States during the previous year. The annual deadlines are June 15 and October 1. Pulitzer Prizes, Prizes in Letters, Columbia University, 709 Pulitzer Hall, 2950 Broadway, New York, NY 10027. (212) 854-3841. pulitzer@pulitzer.org
www.pulitzer.org
Rattle
POETRY PRIZE READERS’ CHOICE AWARD
Jimmy Pappas of Chichester, New Hampshire, won the 2017 Rattle Poetry Prize Readers’ Choice Award for his poem “Bobby’s Story.” He received $2,000, and his poem was published in Issue 58 of Rattle. The editors selected the finalists and Rattle subscribers chose the winner. The annual award is given for a poem. The next deadline is July 15.
NEIL POSTMAN AWARD FOR METAPHOR
Rebecca Starks of Richmond, Vermont, won the 2018 Neil Postman Award for Metaphor for her poem “Open Carry.” She received $1,000, and her poem was published on the Rattle website. The editors judged. The annual award is given for a poem “exhibiting the best use of metaphor” among submissions to Rattle received during the previous year. There is no application process.
Rattle, 12411 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City, CA 91604. (818) 505-6777. Timothy Green, Editor. tim@rattle.com
www.rattle.com
Stone Canoe
LITERARY AWARDS
Kelly Cass Falzone of Nashville won the 2018 Bea Gonzalez Prize for Poetry for a group of poems. Katherine Rooks of Boston won the Robert Colley Prize for Fiction for her story “One More Thing.” Brenna Fitzgerald of Ithaca, New York, won the S. I. Newhouse School Prize for Creative Nonfiction for her essay “Roads In and Out of Nogales.” They each received $500, and their winning works were published in Issue 12 of Stone Canoe. The editors judged. The annual awards are given to writers who are current or former residents of upstate New York. (SEE DEADLINES.)
Stone Canoe, Literary Awards, c/o
YMCA Downtown Writers Center, 340 Montgomery Street, Syracuse, NY
13202. Phil Memmer, Executive Director. stonecanoe@syracuseymca.org
www.syracuse.ymca.org/stone-canoe.html
The Story Prize
Elizabeth Strout of New York City and Brunswick, Maine, won the 2017 Story Prize for Anything Is Possible (Random House). She received $20,000. The finalists were Daniel Alarcón of New
York City for The King Is Always Above the People (Riverhead) and Ottessa Moshfegh of Los Angeles for Homesick for Another World (Penguin Press). They each received $5,000. Susan Minot, Walton Muyumba, and Stephanie Sendaula judged. Lee Conell of Nashville won the 2017 Story Prize Spotlight Award for Subcortical (Johns Hopkins University Press). She received $1,000. Larry Dark and Julie Lindsey judged. The annual awards are given for short story collections published during the previous year. (SEE DEADLINES.) The Story Prize, 41 Watchung Plaza, #384, Montclair, NJ 07042. Larry Dark, Director. info@thestoryprize.org
www.thestoryprize.org
Tucson Festival of Books
LITERARY AWARDS
Whitney Kerutis of Boulder, Colorado, won the 2018 poetry award for “The Auctioneer’s Daughter” and other poems. Sarah Harris Wallman of New Haven, Connecticut, won the fiction award for her story “Birth Stories.” Saloma Miller Furlong of Harrisonburg, Virginia, won the nonfiction award for her memoir excerpt “Ponce Dee Day Leon.” Mary Jo Bang judged in poetry, Kevin Canty judged in fiction, and Ron Hogan judged in nonfiction. The winners each received $1,000 and were invited to attend the tenth annual Tucson Festival of Books and Masters Workshop. The annual awards are given for a group of poems, a short story or novel excerpt, and an essay or memoir excerpt. The next deadline is October 31. Tucson Festival of Books, Literary Awards, P.O. Box 855, Cortaro, AZ 85652. Meg Files, Director. masters@tucsonfestivalofbooks.org
tucsonfestivalofbooks.org
University of Mississippi
SUMMER POET IN RESIDENCE AWARD
DéLana R. A. Dameron of New York City won the 2018 Summer Poet in Residence Award. She received $3,000, a travel stipend, and a monthlong residency at the University of Mississippi. The annual award is given to a poet who has published one or two books and is working on a manuscript. Nadia Alexis and a selection committee judged. The next deadline is January 15, 2019. University of Mississippi, Summer Poet in Residence Award, English Department, Bondurant Hall C135, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS 38677.
mfaenglish.olemiss.edu
University of Pittsburgh Press
DRUE HEINZ LITERATURE PRIZE
Brad Felver of Toledo, Ohio, won the 2018 Drue Heinz Literature Prize for his story collection, The Dogs of Detroit. He received $15,000, and his book will be published by University of Pittsburgh Press. Lynne Sharon Schwartz judged. The annual award is given for a collection of short fiction. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set. University of Pittsburgh Press, Drue Heinz Literature Prize, 7500 Thomas Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA 15260. info@pitt.edu
www.upress.pitt.edu
Unterberg Poetry Center “DISCOVERY”/BOSTON REVIEW POETRY PRIZES
Four poets won 2018 “Discovery”/ Boston Review Poetry Prizes. They are Heidi Johannesen Poon of Charlottesville, Virginia; Jake Skeets of
Vanderwagen, New Mexico; Monica
Sok of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania; and
Paul Tran of Saint Louis. They each received $500, publication of their work in Boston Review, and an invitation to give a reading at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. A. H. Jerriod Avant, Timothy Donnelly, Craig Santos Perez, Srikanth Reddy, and Dara Wier judged. The annual awards are given to poets who have not published a book of poems. The next deadline is January 11, 2019. Unterberg Poetry Center, “Discovery”/ Boston Review Poetry Prizes, 1395 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10128. (212) 415-5760. Ricardo Maldonado, Contact. rickymaldonado@92y.org
www.92y.org/discovery
Winning Writers TOM HOWARD/MARGARET REID POETRY CONTESTS
Karen Harryman of Los Angeles won the Tom Howard Prize for her poem “A Word Like Rat.” A. T. Hincapie of Colorado Springs won the Margaret Reid Prize for his poem “From the Mouth of Kitsee’s Inlet.” They each received $1,500 and publication on the Winning Writers website. Soma Mei Sheng Frazier judged the Tom Howard Prize and Jim DuBois judged the Margaret Reid Prize. The annual awards are given for a poem in any style and a poem written in a traditional style. The next deadline is September 30. Winning Writers, Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contests, 351 Pleasant Street, PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060. Adam Cohen, President.
winningwriters.com
Zócalo Public Square
BOOK PRIZE
Michael Ignatieff of Budapest, Hungary, won the eighth annual Zócalo Public Square Book Prize for his nonfiction book The Ordinary Virtues: Moral Order in a Divided World (Harvard University Press). He received $5,000 and was invited to give a lecture at the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy in Los Angeles. The annual award is given for a book of nonfiction published in the United States in the previous year that “most enhances our understanding of community, human connectedness, and social cohesion.” As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.
POETRY PRIZE
Charles Jensen of Los Angeles won the seventh annual Zócalo Public Square Poetry Prize for his poem “Tucson.” He received $500 and was invited to give a reading at the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy in Los Angeles. The annual award is given for a poem that “best evokes a connection to place.” As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set. Zócalo Public Square, 100 North Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
zocalopublicsquare.org