Recent Winners
Academy of American Poets
WALLACE STEVENS AWARD
Rita Dove of Charlottesville, Virginia, won the 2019 Wallace Stevens Award. She received $100,000. The Academy’s Board of Chancellors judged. The annual award is given to a poet to “recognize outstanding and proven mastery in the art of poetry.” There is no application process.
ACADEMY OF AMERICAN POETS FELLOWSHIP
Ilya Kaminsky of Atlanta won the 2019 Academy of American Poets Fellowship. He received $25,000 and a residency at the T. S. Eliot House in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The Academy’s Board of Chancellors judged. The annual fellowship is given to an American poet for distinguished poetic achievement. There is no application process.
LENORE MARSHALL POETRY PRIZE
Kyle Dargan of Washington, D.C., won the 2019 Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize for Anagnorisis (TriQuarterly Books, 2018). He received $25,000; a ten-day residency at Glen Hollow in Naples, New York; and distribution of his book to members of the Academy of American Poets. Major Jackson, Patricia Smith, and David Wojahn judged. The annual award is given for a book of poetry published in the United States in the previous year. The next deadline is May 15.
RAIZISS/DE PALCHI FELLOWSHIP
Will Schutt of Baltimore won the 2019 Raiziss/de Palchi Fellowship. He received $25,000 and a five-week residency at the American Academy in Rome. Maria Frank, Giorgio Mobili, and Michael Palma judged. The fellowship is given biennially to a U.S. translator for a work-in-progress of modern Italian poetry translated into English. The next deadline is February 15, 2021.
JAMES LAUGHLIN AWARD
Aditi Machado of Saint Louis won the 2019 James Laughlin Award for Emporium (Nightboat Books, 2020). She received $5,000, a weeklong residency at the Betsy Hotel in Miami, and distribution of her book to members of the Academy of American Poets. Gillian Conoley, Fady Joudah, and Cole Swensen judged. The annual award is given for a poet’s second collection, forthcoming in the next calendar year. The next deadline is May 15.
Clare Cavanagh of Chicago won the
2019 Harold Morton Landon Translation Award for her translation from the Polish of Asymmetry by Adam Zagajewski (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). She received $1,000. Dunya Mikhail judged. The annual award is given for a book of poetry translated from any language into English and published in the United States during the previous year. (SEE DEADLINES.) Academy of American Poets, 75 Maiden Lane, Suite 901, New York, NY 10038. (212) 274-0343. Nikay Paredes, Programs Manager. awards@poets.org www.poets.org/academy-american-poets /american-poets-prizes
Airlie Press
AIRLIE PRIZE
Megan Alpert of Watertown, Massachusetts, won the 2019 Airlie Prize for The Animal at Your Side. She received $1,000, and her book will be published by Airlie Press in fall 2020. The editors judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. (SEE DEADLINES.) Airlie Press, Airlie Prize, P.O. Box 68441, Portland, OR 97268. Jennifer Perrine, Editor. editors@airliepress.org
www.airliepress.org
Association of Writers & Writing Programs
AWARD SERIES
Four writers won the 2019 Association of Writers & Writing Programs Award Series prizes. Joy Priest of Louisville, Kentucky, won the $5,500 Donald Hall Prize for Poetry. Her collection, Horsepower, selected by Natasha Trethewey, will be published by University of Pittsburgh Press. Cécile Barlier of Lafayette, California, won the $5,500 Grace Paley
Prize for Short Fiction. Her collection,
A Gypsy’s Book of Revelation, selected by Dan Chaon, will be published by Red Hen Press. Robert Shuster of Bedford, New York, won the $2,500 Award Series for the Novel. His novel, To Zenzi, selected by Bonnie Jo Campbell, will be published by New Issues Press. Megan Harlan of Berkeley, California, won the $2,500 AWP Prize for Creative Nonfiction. Her memoir, Mobile Home, selected by Debra Monroe, will be published by University of Georgia Press. The annual awards are given for books of poetry, fiction, short fiction, and creative nonfiction. (SEE DEADLINES.) Association of Writers & Writing Programs, Award Series, 5700 Rivertech Court, Suite 225, Riverdale Park, MD 20737. (301) 226-9710.
www.awpwriter.org/contests
Atlanta Review
INTERNATIONAL POETRY COMPETITION
Kurt Luchs of Kalamazoo, Michigan, won the 2019 International Poetry Competition for “Suzie.” He received $1,000, and his poem was published in the Fall 2019 issue of Atlanta Review. Dan Vera judged. The annual award is given for a poem. The next deadline is May 1.
Atlanta Review, International Poetry Competition, 686 Cherry Street NW,
Suite 333, Atlanta, GA 30332. Karen Head, Editor.
www.atlantareview.com
Backwaters Press
BACKWATERS PRIZE
Jennifer K. Sweeney of Redlands, California, won the 2019 Backwaters Prize for Foxlogic, Fireweed. She received $2,500, and her book will be published by Backwaters Press in fall 2020. Indigo Moor of Sacramento, California, received an honorable mention for Everybody’s Jonesin’ for Something. He received $1,000, and his book will be published by Backwaters Press in spring 2021. Grace Bauer judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. The next deadline is May 31. Backwaters Press, Backwaters Prize, University of Nebraska Press, 1111 Lincoln Mall, Lincoln, NE 68588.
nebraskapress.unl.edu
Bauhan Publishing MAY SARTON NEW HAMPSHIRE POETRY PRIZE
Dorsey Craft of Lake City, Florida, won the 2019 May Sarton New Hampshire Poetry Prize for Plunder. She will receive $1,000, publication by Bauhan Publishing in spring 2020, and 100 author copies. Deborah Gorlin judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. The next deadline is June 30. Bauhan Publishing, May Sarton New Hampshire Poetry Prize, P.O. Box 117, Peterborough, NH 03458.
www.bauhanpublishing.com/may-sarton-prize
Bitter Oleander Press
LIBRARY OF POETRY AWARD
Sean Thomas Dougherty of Erie, Pennsylvania, won the 2019 Library of Poetry Award for Not All Saints. He received $1,000, and his collection will be published by Bitter Oleander Press in spring 2020. Patty Dickson Pieczka judged.
The annual award is given for a poetry collection. The next deadline is June 15.
Bitter Oleander Press, Library of Poetry Award, 4983 Tall Oaks Drive, Fayetteville, NY 13066.
www.bitteroleander.com/contest.html
Black Lawrence Press
BIG MOOSE PRIZE
Ron Nyren of El Cerrito, California, won the 2019 Big Moose Prize for The Book of Lost Light. He received $1,000, and his novel will be published by Black Lawrence Press in November 2020. The editors judged. The annual award is given for a novel. (SEE DEADLINES.) Black Lawrence Press, Big Moose Prize, 279 Claremont Avenue, Mount Vernon, NY 10552. (412) 559-6649. Diane Goettel, Executive Editor. diane@blacklawrencepress.com www.blacklawrence.com/submissions-and -contests/the-big-moose-prize
Booker Prize Foundation
BOOKER PRIZE FOR FICTION
Margaret Atwood of Toronto and Bernardine Evaristo of London won the 2019 Man Booker Prize. Atwood won for The Testaments (Chatto & Windus) and Evaristo won for Girl, Woman, Other (Hamish Hamilton). They each received £25,000 (approximately $31,500). The finalists, each of whom received £2,500 (approximately $3,150), were Lucy Ellmann of Edinburgh, Scotland, for Ducks, Newburyport (Galley Beggar Press); Chigozie Obioma of Lincoln, Nebraska, for An Orchestra of Minorities (Little, Brown); Salman Rushdie of New York City for Quichotte ( Jonathan Cape); and Elif Shafak of London for 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World (Viking). Liz Calder, Peter Florence, Xiaolu Guo, Afua Hirsch, and Joanna MacGregor judged. The annual award is given for a novel published in the previous year that is written in English and published in the United Kingdom. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set. Booker Prize Foundation, Booker Prize for Fiction, 28 St. James’s Walk, London EC1R 0AP, England.
themanbookerprize.com
Boulevard SHORT FICTION CONTEST FOR EMERGING WRITERS
Claire Boyles of Loveland, Colorado, won the 2018 Short Fiction Contest for Emerging Writers for “Lost Gun, $1000 Reward, No Questions.” She received
$1,500, and her story was published in the fall 2019 issue of Boulevard. The editors judged. The annual award is given for a short story by a writer who has not published a book with a nationally distributed press. The next deadline is December 31.
Boulevard, Short Fiction Contest for Emerging Writers, 4125 Juniata Street B, St. Louis, MO 63116. Jessica Rogen, Editor.
www.boulevardmagazine.org
Caine Prize for African Writing
Lesley Nneka Arimah of Las Vegas, Nevada, won the 2019 Caine Prize for African Writing for “Skinned.” She received £10,000 (approximately $12,600). The finalists were Meron Hadero of
San Francisco for “The Wall”; Cherrie Kandie of Nairobi, Kenya, for “Sew My Mouth”; and Ngwah-Mbo Nana Nkweti of Cameroon for “It Takes A Village Some Say.” They each received £500 (approximately $630), and their stories were published in the 2019 Caine Prize anthology. Sefi Atta, Peter Kimani, Margie Orford, Scott Taylor, and Olufemi Terry judged. The annual award is given for a published short story by an African writer. (SEE DEADLINES.) Caine Prize for African Writing, 51 Southwark Street, London SE1 1RU, England. info@caineprize.com
www.caineprize.com
Cave Canem
POETRY PRIZE
Chekwube Danladi of Chicago won the 2019 Cave Canem Poetry Prize for Semiotics. She will receive $1,000, and her book will be published by the University of Georgia Press in fall
2020. Evie Shockley judged. The annual award is given for a debut poetry collection by a Black poet of African descent. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set. Cave Canem, Poetry Prize, 20 Jay Street, Suite 310-A, Brooklyn, NY 11201.
(718) 858-0000.
www.cavecanempoets.org
Chicago Tribune
NELSON ALGREN SHORT STORY AWARD
Barry Pearce of Chicago won the
2019 Nelson Algren Award for “Chez Whatever.” He received $3,500. The finalists, who each received $750, were
Stephanie Green of Alexandria, Virginia, for “Host Mother”; Elizabeth Poliner of Roanoke, Virginia, for “Sabelle”; Abhijith Ravinutala of Atlanta for “Definition(s)”; Dalia Rosenfeld of Charlottesville, Virginia, for “If You Do Not Shave This Rabbit, He Will Get Stoned”; and Steve Trumpeter of Chicago for “A Pamphlet for This.” The winner and finalists were all published in the Chicago Tribune. Jennifer Acker, Mona Simpson, and Jane Smiley judged. The annual award is given for a short story. (SEE DEADLINES.)
Chicago Tribune, Nelson Algren Short Story Award, 160 North Stetson Avenue, Chicago, IL 60601.
algren.submittable.com
Dayton Literary Peace Foundation RICHARD C. HOLBROOKE DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Poet, fiction, and nonfiction writer
N. Scott Momaday of Santa Fe, New Mexico, won the 2019 Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award. He received $10,000. The annual award honors an author whose complete body of work reflects the Dayton Literary Peace Prize’s mission to
“foster peace, social justice, and global understanding.” There is no application process. Dayton Literary Peace Foundation, P.O. Box 461, Wright Brothers Branch, Dayton, OH 45409. (937) 298-5072. Sharon Rab, Chair. sharon.rab@daytonliterarypeaceprize.org
www.daytonliterarypeaceprize.org
DIAGRAM
CHAPBOOK CONTEST
Blanche Brown of Philadelphia won the DIAGRAM/New Michigan Press Chapbook Contest for Consider the Oyster.
She received $1,000, and her chapbook will be published by New Michigan Press in January 2020. Ander Monson judged. The annual award is given for a chapbook. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.
DIAGRAM, Chapbook Contest, University of Arizona, English Department, P.O.
Box 210067, Tucson, AZ 85721. Ander Monson, Editor. editor@thediagram.com
www.thediagram.com/contest.html
Emrys Press
POETRY CHAPBOOK CONTEST
Richard Lyons of Mississippi State, Mississippi, won the 2019 Emrys Press Chapbook Contest for Heart House.
He received $1,000, publication of his chapbook by Emrys Press, and a weeklong residency at the Rensing Center in Pickens, South Carolina. Joseph Millar judged. The annual award is given for a poetry chapbook. The next deadline is July 1. Emrys Press, Poetry Chapbook Contest, P.O. Box 8813, Greenville, SC 29604. emrys.info@gmail.com
www.emrys.org/emrys-press
French-American Foundation
TRANSLATION PRIZES
Chris Clarke of Philadelphia and Linda Coverdale of New York City both won the 32nd annual Translation Prize in fiction. Clarke won for his translation of Marcel Schwob’s story collection Imaginary Lives (Wakefield Press); Coverdale won for her translation of Patrick Chamoiseau’s novel Slave Old Man (New Press). They each received $5,000. Malcolm DeBevoise of New Orleans won the prize in nonfiction for his translation of
Pierre Rosanvallon’s book Good Government: Democracy Beyond Elections (Harvard University Press). He received $10,000. The annual awards are given for books of fiction and nonfiction translated from French into English and published during the previous year. The next deadline is January 15. French-American Foundation, Translation Prizes, 28 West 44th Street, Suite 902, New York, NY 10036. (646) 588-6782. kdemallie@frenchamerican.org
www.frenchamerican.org/translationprize
Hidden River Arts
WILLOW RUN POETRY BOOK AWARD
Roy Bentley of Pataskala, Ohio, won the 2019 Willow Run Poetry Book Award for Hillbilly Guilt. He received $1,000, and his poetry collection will be published by Hidden River Press, an imprint of Hidden River Publishing. The editors judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. (SEE DEADLINES.)
ELUDIA AWARD
Elisa Atchison of Livingston, Montana, won the 2019 Eludia Award for Crazy Mountain. She received $1,000, and her novel will be published by Sowilo Press, an imprint of Hidden River Publishing.
The editors judged. The annual award is given for a debut novel or story collection by a woman writer over the age of 40. (SEE DEADLINES.) Hidden River Arts, P.O. Box 63927, Philadelphia, PA 19147. (610) 764-0813. Debra Leigh Scott, Founding Director. hiddenriverarts@gmail.com
hiddenriverartssubmissions.submittable.com
Hunger Mountain
LITERARY PRIZES
Daniel Arias Gómez of Fresno, California, won the 2019 Ruth Stone Poetry Prize for “Cathedrals,” “Ode to Sprinklers,” and “Say Your Hands Scar”; Benjamín Naka-Hasebe Kingsley of Norfolk, Virginia, won the 2019 Howard Frank Mosher Short Fiction Prize for his story “Beautiful Bembé”; Arielle Schussler of Walnut Creek, California, won the 2019 Creative Nonfiction Prize for her essay “Sunrise on Pluto.” They each received $1,000, and their winning pieces were published on Hunger Mountain’s website. Natalie Diaz judged in poetry, Erika T. Wurth judged in fiction, and Elissa Washuta judged in nonfiction. The annual awards are given for a poem or group of poems, a story, and an essay. (SEE DEADLINES.)
Hunger Mountain, Literary Prizes, Vermont College of Fine Arts, 36 College Street, Montpelier, VT 05602. hungermtn@vcfa.edu
www.hungermtn.org/submit-contests
James Jones Literary Society
FIRST NOVEL FELLOWSHIP
Marco Kaye of Maplewood, New Jersey, won the 28th annual James Jones First Novel Fellowship for his manuscript “Levon.” He received $10,000 and publication of an excerpt of his novel in Provincetown Arts. The runners-up were Lorinda Toledo of West Hollywood, California, for her manuscript “The Nature of Fire” and Latifa Ayad of Columbus, Ohio, for her manuscript “The Realm Unknown.” They each received $1,000. Greg Hrbek, Nancy McKinley, and Mary Kay Zuravleff judged. The annual award is given for a novel-in-progress that “honors the spirit of unblinking honesty, determination, and insight into modern culture exemplified by the late James Jones.” (SEE DEADLINES.)
James Jones Literary Society, First Novel Fellowship, Wilkes University, Creative Writing Program, 84 West South Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766. Bonnie Culver, Program Director. jamesjonesfirstnovel@wilkes.edu
www.wilkes.edu/pages/1159.asp
Kirkus Reviews
KIRKUS PRIZES
Colson Whitehead of New York City and Saeed Jones of Columbus, Ohio, won the 2019 Kirkus Prizes. Whitehead won in fiction for his novel The Nickel Boys (Doubleday, 2019) and Jones won in nonfiction for his memoir, How We Fight for Our Lives (Simon & Schuster, 2019). They each received $50,000. Min Jin Lee, Michelle Malonzo, and David L. Ulin judged in fiction, and Aaron John Curtis, Jack E. Davis, and Richard Z. Santos judged in nonfiction. The annual awards are given for a book of fiction and a book of nonfiction that were published in the previous year and received a starred review in Kirkus Reviews. There is no application process.
Kirkus Reviews, 65 West 36th Street, Suite 700, New York, NY 10018.
kirkusreviews.com/prize
Little Tokyo Historical Society
SHORT STORY CONTEST
Cody Uyeda of Irvine, California, won the 2019 Little Tokyo Historical Society Short Story Contest for “Promise Me You’ll Remember.” He received $500 and publication in Rafu Shimpo and on the Discover Nikkei website. Sesshu Foster, Irene Simonian, and Teresa Watanabe judged. The annual award is given for a short story that takes place in the Little Tokyo district of Los Angeles.
(SEE DEADLINES.) Little Tokyo Historical Society, Short Story Contest, 319 East Second Street #203, Los Angeles, CA 90012. imaginelittletokyo@gmail.com
www.littletokyohs.org
Lost Horse Press
IDAHO PRIZE FOR POETRY
Julia Kolchinsky Dasbach of Philadelphia won the 2019 Idaho Prize for Poetry for Don’t Touch the Bones. She received $1,000, and her collection will be published by Lost Horse Press in spring 2020. Sandra Alcosser judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. The next deadline is May 15.
Lost Horse Press, Idaho Prize for Poetry, 105 Lost Horse Lane, Sandpoint, ID 83864.
losthorsepress.org/the-idaho-prize
MacArthur Foundation
MACARTHUR FELLOWSHIPS
Poet and fiction writer Ocean Vuong of Amherst, Massachusetts; fiction and nonfiction writer Valeria Luiselli of Annandale-on-Hudson, New York; graphic novelist and graphic nonfiction writer Lynda Barry of Madison, Wisconsin; and translator Emily Wilson of Philadelphia won 2019 MacArthur Fellowships. Vuong, whose most recent book is the novel On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous (Penguin Press, 2019); Luiselli, whose most recent book is the novel Lost Children Archive (Knopf, 2019); Barry, whose most recent book is the graphic nonfiction work Making Comics (Drawn & Quarterly, 2019); and Wilson, whose most recent book is her translation from the ancient Greek of The Odyssey (Norton, 2017), will each receive $625,000 over five years. The annual fellowships are given in a variety of fields to “enable recipients to exercise their own creative instincts for the benefit of human society.” There is no application process. MacArthur Foundation, Office of Grants Management, 140 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60603. (312) 726-8000. 4answers@macfound.org
www.macfound.org
Mississippi Arts Commission
LITERARY ARTIST FELLOWSHIPS
Nonfiction writers Lee Durkee and Aimee Nezhukumatathil, both of Oxford, Mississippi, each received a $4,000 Literary Arts Fellowship from the Mississippi Arts Commission. The fellowships are given in alternating years to Mississippi poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. The next round of fellowships will be awarded to poets and fiction writers. (SEE DEADLINES.) Mississippi Arts Commission, Literary Artist Fellowships, 501 North West Street, Woolfolk Building, Suite 1101A, Jackson, MS 39201. (601) 359-6030. Kristen
Brandt, Contact. kbrandt@arts.ms.gov arts.ms.gov/grants/grants-for-individuals/artist -fellowships
Mudfish
MUDFISH POETRY PRIZE
Mark Wagenaar of Valparaiso, Indiana, won the 2019 Mudfish Poetry Prize for “Fluencies.” He received $1,200, and his poem will be published in Mudfish. John Yau judged. The annual award is given for a single poem. (SEE DEADLINES)
Mudfish, Mudfish Poetry Prize, 184 Franklin Street, Ground Floor, New York, NY 10013. Jill Hoffman, Editor.
www.mudfish.org
Narrative
NARRATIVE PRIZE
Brenden Willey of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, won the 2019 Narrative Prize for his story “Things That Don’t Keep a Lightning Bug Alive.” He received $4,000. The annual award is given for a poem or group of poems, a short story, a novel excerpt, or a work of creative nonfiction published in Narrative during the previous year. The next deadline is June 15.
POETRY CONTEST
Hannah Perrin King of New York City won the 11th annual Poetry Contest for “Addendum and Other Poems.”
She received $1,500 and publication in Narrative. The annual award is given for a poem or group of poems. The next deadline is July 20.
Narrative, 2443 Fillmore Street, #214, San Francisco, CA 94115. Tom Jenks, Editor.
www.narrativemagazine.com
National Book Foundation
NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS
Arthur Sze of Santa Fe, New Mexico, won the 2019 National Book Award in poetry for Sight Lines (Copper Canyon Press). The finalists in poetry were Jericho Brown of Atlanta for The Tradition (Copper Canyon Press), Toi Derricotte of Pittsburgh for “I”: New and Selected Poems (University of Pittsburgh Press), Carmen Giménez Smith of Blacksburg, Virginia, for Be Recorder (Graywolf Press), and Ilya Kaminsky of Atlanta for Deaf Republic (Graywolf Press). Susan Choi of New York City won the 2019 National Book Award in fiction for Trust Exercise (Henry Holt). The finalists in fiction were Kali Fajardo-Anstine of Denver for Sabrina & Corina (One World), Marlon James of Saint Paul and New York City for Black Leopard, Red Wolf (Riverhead Books), Laila Lalami of Los Angeles for The Other Americans (Pantheon Books), and Julia Phillips of New York City for Disappearing Earth (Knopf). Sarah M. Broom of New York City won the 2019 National Book Award in nonfiction for The Yellow House (Grove Press). The finalists in nonfiction were Tressie McMillan Cottom of Richmond, Virginia, for Thick: And Other Essays (New Press), Carolyn Forché of Bethesda, Maryland, for What You Have Heard Is True: A Memoir of Witness and Resistance (Penguin Press), David Treuer of the Leech Lake Reservation in Cass Lake, Minnesota, and Los Angeles for The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America From 1890 to the Present (Riverhead Books), and Albert Woodfox of New Orleans with Leslie George of Syracuse, New York, for Solitary (Grove Press). Martin W. Sandler of Cotuit, Massachusetts, won the 2019 National Book Award in young people’s literature for 1919 The Year That Changed America (Bloomsbury Children’s Books). The finalists in young people’s literature were Akwaeke Emezi of New Orleans for Pet (Make Me a World), Jason Reynolds of Washington, D.C., for Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks (Atheneum/ Caitlyn Dlouhy Books), Randy Ribay of San Francisco for Patron Saints of Nothing (Kokila), and Laura Ruby of Chicago for Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them
All (Balzer + Bray). László Krasznahorkai of Szentlászló, Hungary, won the 2019 National Book Award in translated literature for Baron Wenckheim’s Homecoming (New Directions), translated from the Hungarian by Ottilie Mulzet of Prague. The finalists in translated literature were Khaled Khalifa of Damascus for Death Is Hard Work (Farrar, Straus and Giroux), translated from the Arabic by Leri Price of Cheshire, England; Scholastique Mukasonga of Lower Normandy, France, for The Barefoot Woman (Archipelago Books), translated from the French by Jordan Stump of Lincoln, Nebraska;
Yoko Ogawa of Tokyo for The Memory Police (Pantheon Books), translated from the Japanese by Stephen Snyder of Middlebury, Vermont; and Pajtim Statovci of Helsinki for Crossing (Pantheon Books), translated from the Finnish by David Hackston of Helsinki. Sze, Choi, Broom, and Sandler each won $10,000; Krasznahorkai and Mulzet each won $5,000.
The finalists each received $1,000. The poetry judges were Jos Charles, John Evans, Vievee Francis, Cathy Park Hong,
and Mark Wunderlich; the fiction judges were Dorothy Allison, Ruth Dickey, Javier Ramirez, Danzy Senna, and Jeff VanderMeer; the nonfiction judges were Erica Armstrong Dunbar, Carolyn Kellogg, Mark Laframboise, Kiese Laymon, and Jeff Sharlet; the young people’s literature judges were Elana K. Arnold, Kristen Gilligan, Varian Johnson, An Na, and Deborah Taylor; and the translated literature judges were Keith Gessen, Elisabeth Jaquette, Katie Kitamura, Idra Novey, and Shuchi Saraswat. The annual awards honor books of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and translated literature by U.S. writers published during the award year. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.
5 UNDER 35
Five fiction writers were selected as the National Book Foundation’s 2019 5 Under 35 honorees. They are Anelise Chen of New York City for her novel, So Many Olympic Exertions (Kaya Press, 2017), selected by Dana Spiotta; Isabella Hammad of New York City for her novel, The Parisian (Grove Press, 2019), selected by Viet Thanh Nguyen; Johannes Lichtman of Portland, Oregon, for his novel, Such Good Work (Simon & Schuster, 2019), selected by Garth Greenwell; Bryan Washington of Houston for his story collection, Lot (Riverhead Books, 2019), selected by Nafissa Thompson-Spires; and Ashley Wurzbacher of Birmingham, Alabama, for her story collection, Happy Like This (University of Iowa Press, 2019), selected by Brandon Hobson. They each received $1,000. The annual awards are given to writers under the age of 35 who have published their first book of fiction in the previous five years. There is no application process. National Book Foundation, 90 Broad Street, Suite 604, New York, NY 10004. (212) 685-0261.
www.nationalbook.org
National Poetry Series
OPEN COMPETITION
Five poets won the 2019 National Poetry Series Open Competition. They are
Heid E. Erdrich of Minneapolis for Little Big Bully, selected by Amy Gerstler and to be published by Penguin Books; Alexandria Hall of Los Angeles for Field Music, selected by Rosanna Warren and to be published by Ecco; Diane Louie of Paris for Fractal Shores, selected by Sherod Santos and to be published by University of Georgia Press; Benjamin Garcia of Finger Lakes, New York, for Thrown in the Throat, selected by Kazim Ali and to be published by Milkweed Editions; and Michael Torres of Mankato, Minnesota, for An Incomplete List of Names, selected by Raquel Salas Rivera and to be published by Beacon Press. They each received $10,000. The annual awards are given for poetry collections by U.S. poets, whose winning books are published by participating trade, university, and small press publishers. (SEE DEADLINES.) National Poetry Series, Open Competition, 57 Mountain Avenue, Princeton, NJ 08540.
www.nationalpoetryseries.org
New American Press
POETRY PRIZE
Emily Mohn-Slate of Pittsburgh won the 2019 New American Poetry Prize for The Falls. She received $1,000, and her book will be published by New American Press in fall 2020. Sara Gelston judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. (SEE DEADLINES.)
New American Press, Poetry Prize, P.O. Box 1094, Grafton, WI 53024. David Bowen, Executive Editor. david@newamericanpress.com
www.newamericanpress.com/contests
New Letters
LITERARY AWARDS
Brianna Flavin of Saint Paul won the 2019 Patricia Cleary Miller Award for Poetry for “Grape Tomatoes” and “Orion.” Angie Sijun Lou of Berkeley, California, won the Robert Day Award for Fiction for “Jessica touches my guts.” Terrance Manning Jr. of Pittsburgh won the Conger Beasley Jr. Award for Nonfiction for “Break Down Easy.” They each received $2,500 and will be published in the Winter 2020 issue of New Letters. Gary Dop judged in poetry, Kevin Wilson judged in fiction, and Sheila Kohler judged in nonfiction. The annual awards are given for a group of poems, a story, and an essay. The next deadline is May 18.
New Letters, Literary Awards, University of Missouri, 5101 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, MO 64110. (816) 235-1169. Ashley Wann, Contest Manager. newletters@umkc.edu
www.newletters.org/writers-wanted
Ploughshares
EMERGING WRITER’S CONTEST
Aurielle Lucier of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, won the 2019 Emerging Writer’s Contest in poetry for “a psalm in which i demand a new name for my kindred.” Ruby Todd of Melbourne, Australia, won the 2019 Emerging Writer’s Contest in fiction for “Creation.” Jung Hae Chae of Montclair, New Jersey, won the 2019 Emerging Writer’s Contest in nonfiction for “Pojangmacha People.” They each received $2,000, publication of their work in the Winter 2019–2020 issue of Ploughshares, and a consultation with literary agency Aevitas Creative Management. Fatimah Asghar judged in poetry, Ottessa Moshfegh judged in fiction, and Leslie Jamison judged in nonfiction. The annual awards are given for a poem or group of poems, a short story, and an essay. The next deadline is May 15.
Ploughshares, Emerging Writer’s Contest, 120 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116. (617) 824-3757. Ellen Duffer, Managing Editor. pshares@pshares.org
www.pshares.org
Poetry Society of America
CHAPBOOK FELLOWSHIPS
Laura Cresté of New York City and Darien Hsu Gee of Waikoloa, Hawai’i, won the 2019 Chapbook Fellowships. Cresté won for You Should Feel Bad, chosen by Stephanie Burt; Gee won for Other Small Histories, chosen by Patricia Smith. Isabella DeSendi of New York City and Dujie Tahat of Seattle won the 2019 Chapbook Fellowships 30 and Under. DeSendi won for Through the New Body, chosen by Evie Shockley; Tahat won for Here I Am O My God, chosen by Fady Joudah. The winners each received $1,000, and their winning chapbooks will be published by the Poetry Society of America in 2020. The Chapbook Fellowships are given annually to two poets for chapbook-length poetry collections; the Chapbook Fellowships 30 and Under are given annually to two poets ages 30 and under for chapbook-length poetry collections. The next deadline is December 23. Poetry Society of America, Chapbook Fellowships, 15 Gramercy Park South, New York, NY 10003. (212) 254-9628.
www.poetrysociety.org
Princess of Asturias Foundation
AWARD FOR LITERATURE
Poet and fiction and nonfiction writer Siri Hustvedt of New York City won the 2019 Princess of Asturias Award for Literature. Hustvedt, whose most recent book is the novel Memories of the Future (Simon & Schuster, 2019), received €50,000 (approximately $55,000). A jury appointed by the Princess of Asturias Foundation judged. The annual award is given to a writer who is “fostering and advancing literary creation in all its genres.” There is no application process. Princess of Asturias Foundation, Juan Benito Argüelles, 2, 33004 Oviedo, Principality of Asturias, Spain.
fpa.es/en/princess-of-asturias-awards
Rattle
POETRY PRIZE
Matthew Dickman of London won the 2019 Rattle Poetry Prize for “Stroke.” He received $10,000 and publication of his poem in Issue 66 of Rattle. The editors judged. The annual award is given for a poem. The next deadline is July 15.
Rattle, Poetry Prize, 12411 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City, CA 91604. (818) 505-6777. Timothy Green, Editor. tim@rattle.com
www.rattle.com
Red Hen Press
WOMEN’S PROSE PRIZE
Beth Gilstrap of Charlotte, North Carolina, won the 2019 Women’s Prose Prize for Deadheading & Other Stories. She received $1,000, and her story collection will be published by Red Hen Press in fall 2021. The annual award is given for a book of fiction or nonfiction by a woman. (SEE DEADLINES.) Red Hen Press, Women’s Prose Prize, P.O. Box 40820, Pasadena, CA 91114. (626) 406-1203. Rebeccah Sanhueza, Editorial Assistant. editorial@redhen.org
www.redhen.org
Ruminate
JANET B. MCCABE POETRY PRIZE
John Sibley Williams of Portland, Oregon, won the 2019 Janet B. McCabe Poetry Prize for “Encroachment.” He received $1,500 and publication of his poem in Issue 53 of Ruminate. Craig Santos Perez judged. The annual award is given for a poem. The next deadline is May 15.
WILLIAM VAN DYKE SHORT STORY PRIZE
Joshua Gray of McAllen, Texas, won the 2019 William Van Dyke Short Story Prize for his story “DrownTown.” He received $1,500 and publication of his story in Issue 52 of Ruminate. Tyrese Coleman judged. The annual award is given for a work of short fiction.
(SEE DEADLINES.)
VANDERMEY NONFICTION PRIZE
Porter Huddleston of West Palm Beach, Florida, won the 2019 VanderMey Nonfiction Prize for his essay “The Foundation Above Us.” He received $1,500 and publication of his essay in Issue 51 of Ruminate. Jessica Wilbanks judged. The annual award is given for a work of creative nonfiction. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.
Ruminate, 1041 North Taft Hill Road, Ft. Collins, CO 80521. Brianna Van Dyke, Editor in Chief. editor@ruminatemagazine.org
www.ruminatemagazine.org
Salamander
FICTION PRIZE
Christina Leo of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, won the 2019 Salamander Fiction Prize for “The Blue Bull.” She received $1,000, and her story will be published in Salamander. Wayétu Moore judged. The annual award is given for a short story. The next deadline is June 1.
Salamander, Fiction Prize, Suffolk University, English Department, 8 Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108. Katie Sticca, Managing Editor.
www.salamandermag.org/contests
Southern Humanities Review
AUBURN WITNESS POETRY PRIZE
Dante Di Stefano of Owego, New York, won the 2019 Auburn Witness Poetry Prize for “Burning Churches.” He received $1,000, publication in Southern Humanities Review, and travel expenses to read with contest judge Vievee Francis at Auburn University. The annual award is given for a poem of witness in honor of the late poet Jake Adam York. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.
Southern Humanities Review, Auburn Witness Poetry Prize, Auburn University, 9088 Haley Center, Auburn, AL 36849. (334) 844-9088. shr@auburn.edu
www.southernhumanitiesreview.com
Southern Illinois University
DEVIL’S KITCHEN READING AWARDS
Emily Jungmin Yoon of Chicago won the 2019 Devil’s Kitchen Reading Award in emerging poetry for her collection, A Cruelty Special to Our Species (Ecco). Lucy Jane Bledsoe of Berkeley, California, won the award in fiction for her novella and short story collection Lava Falls (University of Wisconsin Press). Bill Sullivan of Minneapolis won the award in creative nonfiction for his memoir, Lemon Jail: On the Road With the Replacements (University of Minnesota Press). They each received $1,000 and an invitation to read at the 2019 Devil’s Kitchen Fall Literary Festival at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. The annual awards are given for books of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction published in the previous year. (SEE DEADLINES.) Southern Illinois University, Devil’s Kitchen Reading Awards, English Department, Mail Code 4503, 1000 Faner Drive, Carbondale, IL 62901.
www.grassroots.siuc.edu/dkawards.html
Southern Indiana Review
MICHAEL WATERS POETRY PRIZE
Julia Koets of Tampa won the 2019 Michael Waters Poetry Prize for Pine. She received $4,000, and her collection will be published in fall 2020 by Southern Indiana Review Press. Michael Waters judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. (SEE DEADLINES.)
Southern Indiana Review, Michael Waters Poetry Prize, University of Southern Indiana, 8600 University Boulevard, Evansville, IN 47712. (812) 228-5145. Ron Mitchell, Editor. sir.contest@usi.edu
www.usi.edu/sir/awards-contests
Sow’s Ear Poetry Review
CHAPBOOK AWARD
Karen Donovan of East Providence, Rhode Island, won the 2019 Chapbook Award for Exploded Assembly. She received $1,000, publication of her chapbook by Word Process in spring 2020, and 25 author copies. Sam Rasnake judged. The annual award is given for a poetry chapbook. The next deadline is May 1.
Sow’s Ear Poetry Review, Chapbook Award, 1748 Cave Ridge Road, Mount Jackson, VA 22842. Sarah Kohrs, Managing Editor. sepoetryreview@gmail.com
sowsearpoetry.org
Stadler Center for Poetry & Literary Arts
PHILIP ROTH RESIDENCIES
Fiction writers Leah Hampton of Waynesville, North Carolina, and Monterica Sade Neil of Memphis won the 2019–2020 Philip Roth Residencies in Creative Writing. They each received $5,000 and a four-month residency at the Stadler Center for Poetry at Bucknell University. The annual residencies are given to fiction writers and creative nonfiction writers.
(SEE DEADLINES.) Stadler Center for Poetry & Literary
Arts, Philip Roth Residencies, Bucknell University, Bucknell Hall, 1 Dent Drive, Lewisburg, PA 17837. Andrew Ciotola, Program Manager. ciotola@bucknell.edu www.bucknell.edu/academics/beyond -classroom/academic-centers-institutes/stadler -center-poetry-literary-arts-3
Syracuse University Press
VETERANS WRITING AWARD
Dewaine Farria of New Orleans won the 2019 Veterans Writing Award for his novel, Revolutions of All Colors. He received $1,000, and his book will be published by Syracuse University Press in fall 2020. Tobias Wolff judged. The biennial award is given for a novel or short story collection; U.S. veterans, active duty personnel in any branch of the U.S. military, or the immediate family members of a veteran or active duty personnel are eligible. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set. Syracuse University Press, Veterans Writing Award, 621 Skytop Road, Suite 110, Syracuse, NY 13244. Lisa Kuerbis, Contact. lkuerbis@syr.edu
press.syr.edu/veterans-writing-award
Talking Gourds
FISCHER PRIZE
Carlos Andrés Gómez of New York City won the 22nd annual Fischer Prize for “C(h)ord.” He received $1,000 and publication of his poem on the Talking Gourds website. He also received a $500 travel stipend to accept the award at the Telluride Literary Arts Festival in May 2020. Rafael Jesús González judged. The annual award is given for a poem. The next deadline is August 30. Talking Gourds, Fischer Prize, P.O. Box 1770, 216 West Colorado Avenue, Telluride, CO 81435. Art Goodtimes and Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, Codirectors.
talkinggourds.weebly.com/fischer-prize.html
University of Wisconsin WISCONSIN INSTITUTE FOR CREATIVE WRITING FELLOWSHIPS
Seven writers received the 2019–2020 Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellowships in Poetry and Fiction. Claire Agnes of New York City received the James C. McCreight Fiction Fellowship; R. Cassandra Bruner of Cheney, Washington, received the Jay C. and Ruth Halls Poetry Fellowship; Sean Hammer of New York City received the Jay C. and Ruth Halls Fiction Fellowship; Clemonce Heard of Tulsa received the Ronald Wallace Poetry Fellowship; Wes Holtermann of Berkeley, California, received the Hoffman-Halls Emerging Artist Fellowship; Gabriel Louis of Washington, D.C., received the Carol Houck Smith Fiction Fellowship; and Xandria
Phillips of Shalersville, Ohio, received the First Wave Poetry Fellowship. Each fellow receives a stipend of $38,000 plus benefits, and teaches one creative writing workshop at the University of Wisconsin each semester and gives one public reading. The nine-month fellowships provide time, space, and an intellectual community for poets and fiction writers working on a first or second book. Applicants must hold an MFA or PhD in creative writing and must have published no more than one book.
(SEE DEADLINES.) University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellowships, English Department, 600 North Park Street, H.C. White Room 6195, Madison, WI 53706. Sean Bishop, Contact. institutemail@english.wisc.edu
www.creativewriting.wisc.edu/fellowships.html
Virginia Commonwealth University
LEVIS READING PRIZE
Jenny Xie of New York City won the 22nd annual Levis Reading Prize for Eye Level (Graywolf Press, 2018). She received $5,000 and an all-expenses paid trip to give a reading at Virginia
Commonwealth University in Richmond. The annual award is given to honor a first or second book of poetry published during the previous year.
(SEE DEADLINES.) Virginia Commonwealth University, Levis Reading Prize, English Department, 900 Park Avenue, Hibbs Hall, Room 306, P.O. Box 842005, Richmond, VA 23284. AJ White, Contact. whiteaj6@vcu.edu
english.vcu.edu/mfa/levis-reading-prize
White Pine Press
POETRY PRIZE
Gary McDowell of Nashville won the 2019 White Pine Press Poetry Prize for Aflame. He received $1,000, and his book will be published by White Pine Press in fall 2020. Sean Thomas Dougherty judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set. White Pine Press, Poetry Prize, P.O. Box 236, Buffalo, NY 14201.
www.whitepine.org
Whiting Foundation
CREATIVE NONFICTION GRANTS
Wil S. Hylton of Baltimore; Channing Gerard Joseph and Walter ThompsonHernandez, both of Los Angeles; Jim Morris of Washington, D.C.; Kristen Radtke, Albert Samaha, and Damon Tabor, all of New York City; and Ilyon Woo of Cambridge, Massachusetts, won 2019 Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grants. They each received $40,000. The annual awards are given to writers in the process of completing a book of nonfiction. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set. Whiting Foundation, Creative Nonfiction Grants, 16 Court Street, Suite 2308, Brooklyn, NY 11241. (718) 701-5962. info@whiting.org
www.whiting.org/awards/creative-nonfiction-grant Grants & Awards and Conferences & Residencies are written by EMMA
KOMLOS-HROBSKY.