A New Literary Prize for Women and Nonbinary Writers, Ellie Awards Finalists, and More

by
Staff
2.7.20

Every day Poets & Writers Magazine scans the headlines—publishing reports, literary dispatches, academic announcements, and more—for all the news that creative writers need to know. Here are today’s stories.

Novelist Susan Swan and editor Janice Zawerbny are at work on creating a new literary prize to support women and nonbinary writers in the United States and Canada. The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction, which includes a purse of 150,000 Canadian dollars (approximately $113,000), will be awarded on an annual basis starting in 2022. (New York Times)

The American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) has announced the finalists for the fifty-fifth annual National Magazine Awards, also known as the Ellie Awards. Winners will be announced at a ceremony in New York City on March 12, where the society will also present David Granger, former editor in chief of Esquire, with the Magazine Editors’ Hall of Fame Award, and the Paris Review with the ASME Award for Fiction. 

The Poetry Coalition, composed of more than twenty-five organizations, announced its fourth annual programming initiative, set to launch in March 2020: “I am deliberate / and afraid / of nothing: Poetry & Protest.” Members of the coalition shared their initial plans for programming and invited other organizations to join the campaign. 

Ahead of the Academy Awards this weekend, Literary Hub nominates books and writers for Oscars. Among the categories: “Best Book Jacket Design (Costume Design)” and “Literary Citizen (Actor in a Leading Role).”

Roxane Gay reflects on her year in reading, and selects Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo as her overall favorite. (Gay Mag)

Poupeh Missaghi talks to the Margins about her debut novel, trans(re)lating house one, and how her translation work has informed her fiction writing

“Strangeness is important to me as a writer, and it took me some time to discover it as a possibility for myself.” Clare Beams talks to the Rumpus about how her stories begin

Jojo Moyes shares her earliest reading memory, the book she gives as a gift, and the last book to make her cry. (Guardian)

 

Correction: Due to an error in the New York Times article about the Carol Shields Prize, an earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the prize will include a purse of $150,000. The correct prize amount is 150,000 Canadian dollars.