July/August 2019 - Recent Winners

Academy of American Poets
Walt Whitman Award
Leah Naomi Green of Greensboro, North Carolina, won the 2019 Walt Whitman Award for The More Extravagant Feast. 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 2020. Her work will also be featured on the Academy of American Poets website and in American Poets, and copies of her book will be distributed to thousands of Academy members. Li-Young Lee 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
Thirteen writers received awards in literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Fiction writer Lydia Millet of Tucson received the $25,000 Award of Merit, given in alternating years to a writer or artist; this year the award was given to a short story writer. Fiction writer Sally Rooney of Dublin, Ireland, 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; Paul Muldoon and Colm Tóibín judged. Poet D. A. Powell of San Francisco received the $20,000 John Updike Award, given biennially to a writer whose work has “demonstrated consistent excellence.” Poet and prose writer John Keene of Newark, New Jersey, received the $20,000 Harold D. Vursell Memorial Award, given annually to a writer whose work “merits recognition for the quality of its prose style.” Poet Aracelis Girmay of New York City won the $10,000 Addison M. Metcalf Award, given biennially to a “young writer of great promise.” Tommy Orange of Angels Camp, California, won the $10,000 Rosenthal Family Foundation Award for his novel, There There (Knopf). The annual award is given to a “young writer of considerable literary talent” who has published a book during the previous year. Arts and Letters Awards in Literature were given to poets Marilyn Chin of San Diego and Eileen Myles of Marfa, Texas, and New York City; fiction writer John McManus of Norfolk, Virginia; fiction and nonfiction writer Siri Hustvedt of New York City; nonfiction writer Chris Hedges of Princeton, New Jersey; and translator and nonfiction writer Robert Alter of Berkeley, California. They each received $10,000. The annual awards are given to poets, fiction writers, nonfiction writers, and translators to “honor exceptional accomplishment” in literature. Jane Delury of Baltimore received the $5,000 Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction for her novel, The Balcony (Little, Brown). 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 Henri Cole, John Guare, Amy Hempel, Jayne Anne Phillips, 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
Taneum Bambrick of Ellensburg, Washington, won the 2019 APR/Honickman First Book Prize for Vantage. She received $3,000, and her collection will be published in September by the American Poetry Review with distribution by Copper Canyon Press through Consortium. Sharon Olds judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection by a writer who has not yet published a book of poems. The next deadline is October 31.
American Poetry Review, Honickman First Book Prize, 1906 Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
www.aprweb.org

Barnes & Noble
Discover Awards
Paul Howarth of Norwich, England, won the 2018 Discover Award in Fiction for his novel, Only Killers and Thieves (Harper). He received $30,000. Tommy Orange of Angels Camp, California, won the $15,000 second-place prize for his novel, There There (Knopf), and Fatima Farheen Mirza of New York City won the $7,500 third-place prize for her novel, A Place for Us (SJP for Hogarth). Paulette Jiles, Helen Simonson, and Jess Walter judged. Kiese Laymon of Oxford, Mississippi, won the $30,000 Discover Award in Nonfiction for his memoir, Heavy: An American Memoir (Scribner). Shane Bauer of Oakland won the $15,000 second-place prize for his nonfiction book, American Prison: A Reporter’s Undercover Journey Into the Business of Punishment (Penguin Press), and Tara Westover of New York City won the $7,500 third-place prize for her memoir, Educated (Random House). Mira Jacob, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc, and Beth Macy 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

Center for Literary Publishing
Colorado Prize for Poetry
Brandon Krieg of Kutztown, Pennsylvania, won the 25th annual Colorado Prize for Poetry for Magnifier. He received $2,000, and his book will be published in November by the Center for Literary Publishing at Colorado State University. Kazim Ali judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. The next deadline is January 14, 2020.
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
Dawn Lundy Martin of Pittsburgh won the 27th annual Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award for Good Stock Strange Blood (Coffee House Press, 2017). Martin received $100,000 and a weeklong appointment as poet-in-residence at Claremont Graduate University. The annual award is given for a book of poetry by a midcareer poet published in the previous year. Diana Khoi Nguyen of Denver won the 26th annual Kate Tufts Discovery Award for Ghost Of (Omnidawn Publishing, 2018). Nguyen 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 Timothy Donnelly, Cathy Park Hong, Khadijah Queen, Luis J. Rodriguez, 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
Tracy K. Smith of Princeton, New Jersey, won the 84th annual Anisfield-Wolf Book Award in poetry for her collection Wade in the Water (Graywolf Press). Tommy Orange of Angels Camp, California, won the award in fiction for his novel, There There (Knopf). Andrew Delbanco of New York City won the award in nonfiction for his book The War Before the War: Fugitive Slaves and the Struggle for America’s Soul From the Revolution to the Civil War (Penguin Press). Poet and playwright Sonia Sanchez of Philadelphia 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) 861-3810.
www.anisfield-wolf.org

Codhill Press
Poetry Award
Robert Krut of Los Angeles won the 2018 Codhill Press Poetry Award for The Now Dark Sky, Setting Us All on Fire. He received $1,000, publication of his 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
Rebekah Denison Hewitt of Verona, Wisconsin, won the 2018 Muriel Craft Bailey Award for her poem “Eve Speaks From Outside the Belly of the Fish.” She received $1,000 and publication in Comstock Review. Maggie Smith judged. The annual award is given for a single poem. (See Deadlines.)
Comstock Review, Muriel Craft Bailey Award, 4956 Saint John Drive, Syracuse, NY 13215.
www.comstockreview.org

Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales
Poetry Prize
Becky Gould Gibson of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, won the 2018 Dogfish Head Poetry Prize for Indelible. She received $500, publication by Broadkill River Press, ten author copies, and two cases of Dogfish Head beer. She also received lodging expenses to give a reading at the Dogfish Inn in Lewes, Delaware. Shara McCallum 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, Washington, D.C., or West Virginia. (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.broadkillriverpress.com

Dogwood
Literary Prizes
Gillian Vik of Seattle won the 2019 Prize in Poetry for her poem “The Cancer Menagerie.” Annie Lampman of Moscow, Idaho, won the Prize in Fiction for her story “Whom the Lion Seeks.” Nikita Nelin of Seattle won the Prize in Nonfiction for his essay “The Taste of It.” They each received $1,000 and their works were published in the 2019 issue of Dogwood. Lia Purpura judged in poetry and nonfiction, and Phil Klay judged in fiction. 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

Ex Ophidia Press
Poetry Book Contest
Wally Swist of Amherst, Massachusetts, won the third annual Ex Ophidia Press Poetry Book Prize for A Bird Who Seems to Know Me. He received $1,000, and his book was published by Ex Ophidia Press in Spring 2019. Sharon Cumberland, Gregory Richter, and Richard-Gabriel Rummonds judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. (See Deadlines.)
Ex Ophidia Press, Poetry Book Contest, 220 Parfitt Way SW, Apt 111, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110. (360) 385-9966. Richard-Gabriel Rummonds, Publisher.
exophidiapress.org

Fish Publishing
Flash Fiction Prize
Louise Swingler of Skipton, England, won the 2019 Flash Fiction Prize for “Teavarran.” She received €1,000 (approximately $1,130) and publication in the 2019 Fish Anthology. Pamela Painter judged. The annual award is given for a work of flash fiction. The next deadline is February 28, 2020. 
Short Memoir Prize
Bairbre Flood of Rosscarbery, Ireland, won the 2019 Short Memoir Prize for “Fejira* // *to cross.” She received €1,000 (approximately $1,130) and publication in the 2019 Fish Anthology. Chrissie Gittins judged. The annual award is given for an essay. The next deadline is January 31, 2020. 
Fish Publishing, Durrus, Bantry, County Cork, Ireland. Clem Cairns, Editor.
info@fishpublishing.com
www.fishpublishing.com

Friends of American Writers
Literature Awards
Ling Ma of Chicago and Alice Hatcher of Tucson won the 2018–2019 Friends of American Writers Literature Awards. Ma won for her novel, Severance (Farrar, Straus and Giroux), and Hatcher won for her novel, The Wonder That Was Ours (Dzanc Books). Ma received $2,500 and Hatcher received $1,500; both writers were honored at a ceremony in Chicago in May. 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 is December 10.
Friends of American Writers, Literature Awards, 748 Western Avenue, Glen Ellyn, IL 50137. Karen Pulver, Chair.
www.fawchicago.org

Great Lakes Colleges Association
New Writers Awards
Marcelo Hernandez Castillo of Marysville, California, won the 2019 New Writers Award in poetry for his collection, Cenzontle (BOA Editions). Lesley Nneka Arimah of Las Vegas, Nevada, won in fiction for her story collection, When a Man Falls From the Sky (Riverhead Books). Dawn Davies of Sunrise, Florida, won in creative nonfiction for her memoir, Mothers of Sparta: A Memoir in Pieces (Flatiron Books). 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. David Baker, Joe Heithaus, and Lynn Powell judged in poetry; Danit Brown, Eric Freeze, and Jennifer Hayward judged in fiction; and Matthew Ferrence, Marin Heinritz, and Rhoda Janzen judged in creative nonfiction. The annual awards are given for first books of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. The next deadline is June 25.
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
Ioanna Carlsen of Tesuque, New Mexico, won the 2019 Off the Grid Poetry Prize for Breather. She received $1,000, and her book will be published by Grid Books. Jennifer Tseng 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, 118 Wilson Street, Beacon, NY 12508.
info@grid-books.org
www.grid-books.org/off-the-grid-press

Hidden River Arts
Hawk Mountain Short Story Collection Award
Charles Wyatt of Nashville won the 2019 Hawk Mountain Short Story Collection Award for Houses. He received $1,000, and his book will be published by Hidden River Press. The editors judged. The annual award is given for a story collection. (See Deadlines.)
Hidden River Arts, Hawk Mountain Short Story Collection Award, P.O. Box 63927, Philadelphia, PA 19147.
hiddenriverarts@gmail.com
hiddenriverarts.wordpress.com

Howling Bird Press
Book Contest
Lisa Van Orman Hadley of Salt Lake City won the 2019 Howling Bird Press Book Contest for her novel, Irreversible Things. She received $1,000, and her book will be published by Howling Bird Press in the fall. The annual award in given in alternating years for a poetry collection, book of fiction, and book of nonfiction. The 2019 prize will be awarded in nonfiction. (See Deadlines.)
Howling Bird Press, Book Contest, Augsburg University, 219 Memorial Hall, 2211 Riverside Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55454. James Cihlar, Publisher.
cihlar@augsburg.edu
augsburg.edu/mfa/howling-bird-press

Indiana Review
“1/2 K” Prize
Brian Sneeden of Storrs, Connecticut, won the 2017 “1/2 K” Prize for his prose poem “Other Fountains.” He received $1,000, and his poem was published in Indiana Review. Bryan Borland and Seth Pennington 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, English Department, Lindley 215, 150 South Woodlawn Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47405.
inreview@indiana.edu
indianareview.org/prizes

Jewish Book Council
Berru National Jewish Book Award for Poetry
Erika Meitner of Blacksburg, Virginia, won the 2018 National Jewish Book Award for Poetry for Holy Moly Carry Me (BOA Editions, 2018). She received $1,000 and promotion of the book through the Jewish Book Council. The annual award, which honors Ruth and Bernie Weinflash, is given for a book of poetry with Jewish themes. The next deadline is October 5.
Jewish Book Council, Berru 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-four writers received 2019 Guggenheim Fellowships in creative writing. The fellows in poetry are Cyrus Cassells of Austin, Texas; Thomas Centolella and Dean Rader, both of San Francisco; Camille T. Dungy of Fort Collins, Colorado; Carmen Giménez Smith of Blacksburg, Virginia; Joanna Klink of Iowa City; Robin Coste Lewis of Los Angeles; Shane McCrae of New York City; and Lloyd Schwartz of Somerville, Massachusetts. The fellows in fiction are Edward Carey of Austin; Patricia Engel of Key Biscayne, Florida; Michael Helm of Dundas, Canada; Catherine Lacey of Chicago; Carmen Maria Machado of Philadelphia; Helen Schulman of New York City; and Luis Alberto Urrea of Naperville, Illinois. The fellows in nonfiction are Anna Badkhen of Philadelphia; Alexandra Chasin and Janine di Giovanni, both of New York City; Mark Danner of Berkeley, California; Lawrence P. Jackson of Baltimore; Kevin M. Kruse of Princeton, New Jersey; Christopher Merrill of Iowa City; and Sam Stephenson of Bloomington, Indiana. The fellowships of approximately $50,000 each are given annually in recognition of “achievement and exceptional promise.” As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, Writing Fellowships, 90 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016.
www.gf.org

Langum Foundation
Prize for American Historical Fiction
Louisa Hall of Iowa City won the 2018 David J. Langum Sr. Prize for American Historical Fiction for her novel Trinity (Ecco). 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 Foundation, Prize for American Historical Fiction, 2809 Berkeley Drive, Birmingham, AL 35242.
djlangum@samford.edu
www.langumtrust.org/about-prizes/american-historical-fiction

Ledbury Poetry Festival
Poetry Competition
R. T. A. Parker of Cardiff, Wales, won the 2018 Poetry Competition for “All the Bleak Chippies.” He received £1,000 (approximately $1,300); a course at Ty Newydd, the National Writing Centre of Wales; publication of his poem on the Ledbury Poetry Festival website; and an invitation to read at the festival in July. Nia Davies judged. The annual award is given for a poem. (See Deadlines.)
Ledbury Poetry Festival, Poetry Competition, Master’s House, Bye Street, Ledbury, Herefordshire, HR8 1EA, England. Sandra Dudley, Finance Manager.
finance@poetry-festival.co.uk
www.poetry-festival.co.uk/ledbury-poetry-competition

Lynx House Press
Blue Lynx Prize for Poetry
Joe Wilkins of McMinnville, Oregon, won the 2018 Blue Lynx Prize for Poetry for Thieve. He received $2,000, and his book will be published by Lynx House Press. The editors 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 96, Spokane, WA 99210. (509) 624-4894.
lynxhousepress@gmail.com
www.lynxhousepress.org

Michigan Quarterly Review
Literary Prizes
Elizabeth Gaffney of New York City won the 41st annual Lawrence Foundation Prize for her story “Six-X,” which appeared in the Summer 2018 issue of Michigan Quarterly Review. She received $1,000. Michael Byers judged. Jasmine V. Bailey of Lubbock, Texas, won the 17th annual Laurence Goldstein Poetry Prize for her poem “This Is Not a Poem About Leah, Let Alone Zilpah and Bilhah,” which appeared in the Summer 2018 issue of Michigan Quarterly Review. She received $500. Raymond McDaniel 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
Nkosi Nkululeko of New York City won the tenth annual Page Davidson Clayton Prize for Emerging Poets for “Recordable,” which appeared in the Spring 2018 issue of Michigan Quarterly Review. He received $500. Raymond McDaniel 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
Ada Limón of Lexington, Kentucky, received the 2018 National Book Critics Circle Award in poetry for The Carrying (Milkweed Editions). The finalists were Terrance Hayes of New York City for American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin (Penguin Books); Erika Meitner of Blacksburg, Virginia, for Holy Moly Carry Me (BOA Editions); Diane Seuss of Kalamazoo, Michigan, for Still Life With Two Dead Peacocks and a Girl (Graywolf Press); and Adam Zagajewski of Kraków, Poland, for Asymmetry (Farrar, Straus and Giroux), translated from the Polish by Clare Cavanagh. Anna Burns of East Sussex, England, received the fiction award for her novel Milkman (Graywolf Press). The finalists were Patrick Chamoiseau of Martinique, France, for Slave Old Man (New Press), translated from the French and Creole by Linda Coverdale; the late Denis Johnson for The Largesse of the Sea Maiden (Random House); Rachel Kushner of Los Angeles for The Mars Room (Scribner); and Luis Alberto Urrea of Naperville, Illinois, for The House of Broken Angels (Little, Brown). Nora Krug of New York City received the autobiography award for her memoir Belonging: A German Reckons With History and Home (Scribner). The finalists were Richard Beard of Oxford, England, for The Day That Went Missing: A Family’s Story (Little, Brown); Nicole Chung of Washington, D.C., for All You Can Ever Know (Catapult Books); Rigoberto González of New York City for What Drowns the Flowers in Your Mouth: A Memoir of Brotherhood (University of Wisconsin Press); Nell Painter of Newark, New Jersey, for Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over (Counterpoint Press); and Tara Westover of New York City for Educated (Random House). Steve Coll of New York City won the nonfiction award for Directorate S: The C.I.A. and America’s Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan (Penguin Press). The finalists were Francisco Cantú of Tucson for The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches From the Border (Riverhead Books); Greg Lukianoff of Washington, D.C., and Jonathan Haidt of New York City for The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting up a Generation for Failure (Penguin Press); Adam Winkler of Los Angeles for We the Corporations: How American Businesses Won Their Civil Rights (Liveright); and Lawrence Wright of Austin, Texas, for God Save Texas: A Journey Into the Soul of the Lone Star State (Knopf). Christopher Bonanos of New York City won the biography award for Flash: The Making of Weegee the Famous (Henry Holt). The finalists were Craig Brown of Aldeburgh, England, for Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret (Farrar, Straus and Giroux); Yunte Huang of Santa Barbara, California, for Inseparable: The Original Siamese Twins and Their Rendezvous With American History (Liveright); Mark Lamster of Dallas for The Man in the Glass House: Philip Johnson, Architect of the Modern Century (Little, Brown); and Jane Leavy of Washington, D.C., and Truro, Massachusetts, for The Big Fella: Babe Ruth and the World He Created (Harper). Zadie Smith of New York City received the criticism award for her essay collection Feel Free (Penguin Press). The finalists were Robert Christgau of New York City for Is It Still Good to Ya?: Fifty Years of Rock Criticism, 1967–2017 (Duke University Press); Stephen Greenblatt of Cambridge, Massachusetts, for Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics (Norton); Terrance Hayes of New York City for To Float in the Space Between: A Life and Work in Conversation With the Life and Work of Etheridge Knight (Wave Books); and Lacy M. Johnson of Houston for The Reckonings (Scribner). The National Book Critics Circle, a professional organization composed of 750 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
Tommy Orange of Angels Camp, California, won the John Leonard Prize for his novel, There There (Knopf). The annual award is given for a first book in any genre. There is no application process.
National Book Critics Circle, c/o Marion Winik, Treasurer, 4600 Keswick Road, Baltimore, MD 21210.
info@bookcritics.org
bookcritics.org

National Federation of State Poetry Societies
Stevens Manuscript Competition
Flower Conroy of Key West, Florida, won the 2018 Stevens Manuscript Competition for Snake Breaking Medusa Disorder. She received $1,000, and her book will be published by the National Federation of State Poetry Societies. Chen Chen judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.
National Federation of State Poetry Societies, Stevens Manuscript Competition, 4 Bowie Point, Sherwood, AR 72120. Amanda Partridge, Chair.
stevens.nfsps@gmail.com
www.nfsps.com

New American Press
New American Fiction Prize
Rachel Swearingen of Chicago won the 2018 New American Fiction Prize for her story collection How to Walk on Water and Other Stories. She received $1,000, and her book will be published by New American Press in Fall 2020. John McNally judged. The annual award is given for a book of fiction. The next deadline is June 15.
New American Press, New American Fiction Prize, P.O. Box 1094, Grafton, WI 53024. David Bowen, Executive Editor.
david@newamericanpress.com
www.newamericanpress.com

New Millennium Writings
New Millennium Awards
Seth Simons of Oakland won the 2019 New Millennium Poetry Award for her poem “Like My Father.” Patricia Sammon of Huntsville, Alabama, won the Fiction Prize for her story “Since.” Eleanor Bluestein of La Jolla, California, won the Flash Fiction Prize for her story “How to Write a Love Letter.” Kristin Kostick of Humble, Texas, won the Nonfiction Prize for her essay “Blanking.” 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

Nightboat Books
Poetry Prize
Carlos Lara of Los Angeles won the 2018 Nightboat Poetry Prize for Like Bismuth When I Enter. He received $1,000, publication of his book by Nightboat Books, and 25 author copies. Kazim Ali judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. The next deadline is November 15.
Nightboat Books, Poetry Prize, 310 Nassau Avenue #202, Brooklyn, NY 11222.
info@nightboat.org
nightboat.org

North Carolina Writers’ Network
Rose Post Creative Nonfiction Competition
Pam Van Dyk of Raleigh, North Carolina, won the 2019 Rose Post Creative Nonfiction Competition for “ABC to XYZ.” She received $1,000, and her essay will be considered for publication in Ecotone. Madge McKeithen 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, 2020.
Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize
Leslie Kirk Campbell of San Francisco won the 2019 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize for “City of Angels.” She received $1,000, and her story will be considered for publication in the Thomas Wolfe Review. Jill McCorkle judged. The annual award is given for a story. The next deadline is January 30, 2020.
North Carolina Writers’ Network, P.O. Box 21591, Winston-Salem, NC 27120. Ed Southern, Contact.
ed@ncwriters.org
www.ncwriters.org

PEN America
Emerging Voices Fellowships
Five writers received 2019 Emerging Voices Fellowships from PEN America. They are poets T. K. Lê and Dare Williams, and fiction writers Judy Choi, Anthony Hoang, and Fajer Alexander Khansa, all of Los Angeles. They will each receive $1,000 and professional mentorship with an established writer. They will also participate in 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, 8444 Wilshire Boulevard, Fourth Floor, Beverly Hills, CA 90211.
afletcher@pen.org
www.pen.org/emerging-voices-fellowship

PEN/Faulkner Foundation
Award for Fiction
Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi of South Bend, Indiana, and Florence, Italy, won the 2019 PEN/Faulkner Award for her novel Call Me Zebra (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). She received $15,000. The finalists were Blanche McCrary Boyd of New London, Connecticut, for her novel Tomb of the Unknown Racist (Counterpoint Books); Richard Powers of Townsend, Tennessee, for his novel The Overstory (Norton); Ivelisse Rodriguez of Whitsett, North Carolina, for her story collection, Love War Stories (Feminist Press); and Willy Vlautin of Scappoose, Oregon, for his novel Don’t Skip Out on Me (Harper Perennial). They each received $5,000. Percival Everett, Ernesto Quiñonez, and Joy Williams 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.
www.penfaulkner.org/award-for-fiction

Perugia Press
Perugia Press Prize
Abby E. Murray of Puyallup, Washington, won the 2019 Perugia Press Prize for Hail and Farewell. 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

Ploughshares
Alice Hoffman Prize for Fiction
Dantiel W. Moniz of Jacksonville, Florida, won the 2018 Alice Hoffman Prize for Fiction for her story “Milk Blood Heat,” which was published in the Spring 2018 issue of Ploughshares. She received $2,500. The editors judged. The annual award is given for a work of fiction published in the journal in the previous year. There is no application process.
Ploughshares, Emerson College, 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
Dante Micheaux of London won the 2019 Four Quartets Prize for his collection Circus (Indolent Books). Micheaux received $20,000. The finalists were Catherine Barnett of New York City for “Accursed Questions” from the collection Human Hours (Graywolf Press), and Meredith Stricker of Big Sur, California, for anemochore (Newfound Press). The finalists each 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 during the previous year. Rowan Ricardo Phillips, Carmen Giménez Smith, and Rosanna Warren judged. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.
Frost Medal
Eleanor Wilner of Philadelphia won the 2019 Frost Medal. Wilner, whose most recent poetry collection, Before Our Eyes: New and Selected Poems 1975–2017, is forthcoming from Princeton University Press in the fall, 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.
Shelley Memorial Award
Carl R. Martin of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, won the 2019 Shelley Memorial Award. Martin, whose most recent poetry collection is Rogue Hemlocks (Fence Books, 2008), received $6,000. Vanesha Pravin and Srikanth Reddy judged. The annual award is given to a poet “selected with reference to his or her genius and need.” 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
Joy Harjo of Tulsa won the 13th annual Jackson Poetry Prize. Harjo, whose most recent book, An American Sunrise, is forthcoming from W. W. Norton in September, received $65,000. Ada Limón, Alicia Ostriker, and D. A. Powell 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
Forrest Gander of Barrington, Rhode Island, won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in poetry for Be With (New Directions). The finalists were jos charles of Long Beach, California, for feeld (Milkweed Editions) and A. E. Stallings of Athens, Greece, for Like (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). Dan Chiasson, Robyn Creswell, and Rigoberto González judged. Richard Powers of Townsend, Tennessee, won the prize in fiction for his novel The Overstory (Norton). The finalists were Rebecca Makkai of Chicago for The Great Believers (Viking) and Tommy Orange of Angels Camp, California, for There There (Knopf). Lawrence Buell, Stephen L. Carter, Elizabeth Taylor, Danielle Trussoni, and Michael Wood judged. Jeffrey C. Stewart of Santa Barbara, California, won the prize in biography for The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke (Oxford University Press). The finalists were Max Boot of New York City for The Road Not Taken: Edward Lansdale and the American Tragedy in Vietnam (Liveright) and Caroline Weber of New York City for Proust’s Duchess: How Three Celebrated Women Captured the Imagination of Fin-de-Siècle Paris (Knopf). William C. Davis, John Matteson, and Vanessa Pérez-Rosario judged. Eliza Griswold of New York City won the prize in general nonfiction for Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). The finalists were Elizabeth Rush of Providence for Rising: Dispatches From the New American Shore (Milkweed Editions) and Bernice Yeung of Berkeley, California, for In a Day’s Work: The Fight to End Sexual Violence Against America’s Most Vulnerable Workers (New Press). Roxane Gay, Jane Mayer, Vijay Prashad, and Vijay Seshadri 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
Katie Bickham of Shreveport, Louisiana, won the 2018 Rattle Poetry Prize Readers’ Choice Award for “The Blades.” She received $2,000, and her poem was published in Issue 62 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
James Valvis of Issaquah, Washington, won the 2019 Neil Postman Award for Metaphor for “The Distracted.” He received $1,000, and his poem was published in Issue 62 of Rattle. 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

Sewanee Review
Poetry and Fiction Contest
Cate Lycurgus of San Francisco won the inaugural Sewanee Review Poetry Contest for “Locomotion.” Lily Meyer of Washington, D.C., won the Fiction Contest for “On Being Human.” They each received $1,000 and publication in the Winter 2019 issue of the Sewanee Review. Dan Chiasson judged in poetry and Danielle Evans judged in fiction. The annual awards are given for a group of poems and a short story. (See Deadlines.)
Sewanee Review, Poetry and Fiction Contest, 735 University Avenue, Sewanee, TN 37383. (931) 589-1185.
sewaneereview@sewanee.edu
thesewaneereview.com/contest

Stone Canoe
Literary Awards
Kendra Langdon Juskus of Durham, North Carolina, won the 2019 Bea Gonzalez Prize for Poetry for a group of poems. Bo Ledwith of Binghamton, New York, won the Robert Colley Prize for Fiction for her story “The Hunting Party.” Daniel Eastman of Allentown, Pennsylvania, won the S. I. Newhouse School Prize for Creative Nonfiction for his essay “The Anomaly of West Virginia.” They each received $500, and their winning works were published in Issue 13 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
Lauren Groff of Jacksonville, Florida, won the 2018 Story Prize for Florida (Riverhead Books). She received $20,000. The finalists were Deborah Eisenberg of New York City for Your Duck Is My Duck (Ecco) and Jamel Brinkley of Oakland for A Lucky Man (Graywolf Press). They each received $5,000. Jo Ann Beard, Ron Charles, and Veronica Santiago Liu judged. Akil Kumarasamy of Ann Arbor, Michigan, won the 2018 Story Prize Spotlight Award for Half Gods (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). 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
Janet Ruth of Corrales, New Mexico, won the 2019 poetry award for “Trick of Light” and other poems. Lesley Bannatyne of Somerville, Massachusetts, won the fiction award for her story “Corpse Walks Into a Bar.” Cinthia Ritchie of Anchorage, Alaska, won the nonfiction award for her memoir excerpt “Hunger, and Lies.” Marilyn Chin judged in poetry, Shobha Rao judged in fiction, and Stephanie Land judged in nonfiction. The winners each received $1,000 and a scholarship to the Tucson Festival of Books and Masters Workshop. The winners were also invited to read at the Tucson Festival of Books in March. 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 Pittsburgh Press
Drue Heinz Literature Prize
Kate Wisel of Chicago won the 2019 Drue Heinz Literature Prize for Driving in Cars With Homeless Men. She received $15,000, and her book will be published by University of Pittsburgh Press. Min Jin Lee judged. The annual award is given for a collection of short fiction. The next deadline is June 30.
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 Poetry Prizes
Four poets won the 2019 Discovery Poetry Prizes. They are Alfredo Aguilar of San Marcos, Texas; Bernard Ferguson and Omotara James, both of New York City; and Alycia Pirmohamed of Edinburgh, Scotland. They each received $500, publication of their work in the Paris Review Daily, and an invitation to give a reading at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Mai Der Vang and Timothy Donnelly were the preliminary judges; Daniel Borzutzky, Randall Mann, and Patricia Smith were the final judges. The annual awards are given to poets who have not published a book of poems. The next deadline is January 10, 2020.
Unterberg Poetry Center, Discovery 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
Latorial Faison of Chester, Virginia, won the Tom Howard Prize for “Mama Was a Negro Spiritual.” Sean Patrick Mulroy of Portsmouth, Virginia, won the Margaret Reid Prize for “Villanelle for the Wound.” They each received $1,500, publication on the Winning Writers website, and a one-year gift certificate from Duotrope. Soma Mei Sheng Frazier judged. 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