July/August 2021 - Recent Winners

Academy for Teachers
Stories Out of School Flash Fiction Contest
John Francis Istel of New York City won the 2021 Stories Out of School Flash Fiction Contest for “The Metaphor Game.” He received $1,000 and publication in A Public Space. Jonathan Lethem judged. The annual award is given for flash fiction about teachers and school. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.
Academy for Teachers, Stories Out of School Flash Fiction Contest, 10 West 90th Street, New York, NY 10024. Rene Marion, Dean of Fellows.
rene@academyforteachers.org
pandemic-edition.academyforteachers.org/stories-out-of-school-contest

Academy of American Poets
First Book Award
Kemi Alabi of Chicago won the 2021 First Book Award for Against Heaven. They received $5,000; a six-week all-expenses paid residency at the Civitella Ranieri Center in Umbria, Italy; and publication of their book by Graywolf Press in April 2022. Their work will also be featured on the Academy of American Poets website and in American Poets, and copies of their book will be distributed to thousands of Academy members. Claudia Rankine 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, First Book Award, 75 Maiden Lane, Suite 901, New York, NY 10038. (212) 274-0343, ext. 13.
awards@poets.org
poets.org/academy-american-poets/prizes/first-book-award

American Academy of Arts and Letters
Literature Awards
Fourteen writers received awards in literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Fiction writers Salvatore Scibona of New York City and Laura van den Berg of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Sanford, Florida, received the $200,000 Mildred and Harold Strauss Livings, given quinquenially in “recognition of literary excellence and to provide freedom to devote time exclusively to writing.” Fiction writer Chang-Rae Lee of Stanford, California, received the $25,000 Award of Merit for the Novel, given sexenially for “excellence in the craft of the novel.” Poet Diane Seuss of Kalamazoo, Michigan, received the $20,000 John Updike Award, given biennially to mid-career writers who have “demonstrated consistent excellence.” Fiction writer Garth Greenwell of Iowa City 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.” Fiction writer C Pam Zhang of San Francisco won the $10,000 Rosenthal Family Foundation Award for her novel, How Much of These Hills Is Gold (Riverhead Books). The annual award is given to a “young writer of considerable literary talent” who has published a book during the previous year. Fiction writer Kali Fajardo-Anstine of Denver received the $10,000 Addison M. Metcalf Award, given biennially to a “writer of great promise.” Arts and Letters Awards in Literature were given to poets Saskia Hamilton and Jana Prikryl, both of New York City, and Layli Long Soldier of Santa Fe, New Mexico; fiction writers Yiyun Li of Princeton, New Jersey, and Kathryn Scanlan of Los Angeles; and fiction and nonfiction writer Benjamin Taylor of New York City. They each received $10,000. The annual awards are given to poets, fiction writers, nonfiction writers, and translators to honor “exceptional accomplishment” in literature. Douglas Stuart of New York City received the $5,000 Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction for his novel, Shuggie Bain (Grove Press); the annual award honors a debut book of fiction published in the previous year. The awards are given by members of the Academy. There is no application process.
American Academy of Arts and Letters, 633 West 155th Street, New York, NY 10032. (212) 368-5900.
artsandletters.org

American Poetry Review
Honickman First Book Prize
Natasha Rao of New York City won the 2021 APR/Honickman First Book Prize for Latitude. She received $3,000, and her collection will be published in September by American Poetry Review with distribution by Copper Canyon Press through Consortium. Ada Limón 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, Third Floor, 1906 Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
aprweb.org

BOA Editions
A. Poulin Jr. Poetry Prize
Danni Quintos of Lexington, Kentucky, won the 2020 A. Poulin Jr. Poetry Prize for Two Brown Dots. She received $1,000, and her book will be published by BOA Editions in 2022. Aimee Nezhukumatathil judged. The annual award is given for a first book of poetry. The next deadline is November 30.
BOA Editions, A. Poulin Jr. Poetry Prize, 250 North Goodman Street, Suite 306, Rochester, NY 14607. (585) 546-3410. Peter Conners, Publisher.
contact@boaditions.org
boaeditions.org

Boulevard
Emerging Poets Contest
Bryan Byrdlong of Ann Arbor, Michigan, won the 2020 Emerging Poets Contest for a group of poems. He received $1,000 and publication in Boulevard. The annual award is given for a group of poems by a poet who has not published a poetry collection with a nationally distributed press. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.
Boulevard, Emerging Poets Contest, 3829 Hartford Street, St. Louis, MO 63116. Jessica Rogen, Editor.
boulevardmagazine.org

Claremont Graduate University
Tufts Poetry Awards
John Murillo of New York City won the 29th annual Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award for Kontemporary Amerikan Poetry (Four Way Books, 2020). He received $100,000. The annual award is given for a book of poetry by a midcareer poet published in the previous year. Jake Skeets of Tsaile, Arizona, won the 28th annual Kate Tufts Discovery Award for Eyes Bottle Dark With a Mouthful of Flowers (Milkweed Editions, 2019). He received $10,000. Both prizes were judged by Timothy Donnelly, Meghan O’Rourke, Luis J. Rodriguez, Prageeta Sharma, and Patricia Smith. The annual award is given for a first book of poetry published in the previous year. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.
Claremont Graduate University, Tufts Poetry Awards, 160 East 10th Street, Harper East B7, Claremont, CA 91711. (909) 621-8974.
arts.cgu.edu/tufts-poetry-awards

Cleveland Foundation
Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards
Victoria Chang of Los Angeles won the 86th annual Anisfield-Wolf Book Award in poetry for Obit (Copper Canyon Press). James McBride of Lambertville, New Jersey, and New York City won the award in fiction for his novel Deacon King Kong (Riverhead Books). Vincent Brown of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Natasha Trethewey of Chicago won the award in nonfiction; Brown won for Tacky’s Revolt: The Story of an Atlantic Slave War (Harvard University Press) and Trethewey won for Memorial Drive: A Daughter’s Memoir (Ecco). Fiction writer Samuel R. Delany of New York City 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 explore diversity.” The next deadline is December 31.
Cleveland Foundation, Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards, 1422 Euclid Avenue, Suite 1300, Cleveland, OH 44115. (216) 685-2018.
anisfield-wolf.org

Codhill Press
Pauline Uchmanowicz Poetry Award
Barry Sternlieb of Richmond, Massachusetts, won the 2020 Pauline Uchmanowicz Poetry Award for Sole Impression. 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, Pauline Uchmanowicz Poetry Award, 331 Station Road, Highland, NY 12528. James Sherwood, Contest Coordinator.
codhill.com

Comstock Review
Muriel Craft Bailey Memorial Award
Sheila Smith McKoy of Oakland won the 2020 Muriel Craft Bailey Memorial Award for “Their Children’s Children.” She received $1,000 and publication in Comstock Review. Patricia Smith judged. The annual award is given for a single poem. (See Deadlines.)
Comstock Review, Muriel Craft Bailey Memorial Award, 4956 Saint John Drive, Syracuse, NY 13215.
comstockreview.org

Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales
Poetry Prize
Susan Rothbard of Fairfield, New Jersey, won the 2020 Dogfish Head Poetry Prize for Birds of New Jersey. She received $500, publication by Broadkill River Press, 10 author copies, and two cases of Dogfish Head craft beer. Edgar Kunz judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection written by a poet living in Delaware, Maine, 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
broadkillriverpress.com

Dogwood
Literary Awards
Maria Zoccola of Memphis won the 2021 Award in Poetry for “ten-foot drop.” Roberta Gates of Riverside, Illinois, won the Award in Fiction for “Little Black Dress.” Marcos Villatoro of Los Angeles won the Award in Nonfiction for “My 100 Years of Solitude.” They each received $500 and their works were published in the 2021 issue of Dogwood. Lauren K. Alleyne judged in poetry, James Tate Hill judged in fiction, and Sejal Shah judged in nonfiction. The annual awards are given for a poem, a short story, and an essay. (See Deadlines.)
Dogwood, Literary Awards, Fairfield University, English Department, 1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield, CT 06824. (203) 254-4000, ext. 2565. Sonya Huber, Editor.
shuber@fairfield.edu
dogwoodliterary.com

Ex Ophidia Press
Poetry Book Prize
Becky Thompson of Boston won the fifth annual Ex Ophidia Press Poetry Book Prize for To Speak in Salt. She received $1,000, and her book will be published by Ex Ophidia Press in summer 2021. Sharon L. Cumberland judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. (See Deadlines.)
Ex Ophidia Press, Poetry Book Prize, 919 2nd Avenue West, #407, Seattle, WA 98119. (206) 284-6674. Jim Jones, Publisher.
exophidiapress.org

Fish Publishing
Flash Fiction Prize
Jack Barker-Clark of Yorkshire, England, won the 2021 Flash Fiction Prize for “Both On and Off.” She received €1,000 (approximately $1,191) and publication in the 2021 Fish Anthology. Kathy Fish judged. The annual award is given for a work of flash fiction. The next deadline is February 28, 2022.
Short Memoir Prize
Mary Ethna Black of Lambeg, Northern Ireland, won the 2021 Short Memoir Prize for “Blood and Roses.” She received €1,000 (approximately $1,191) and publication in the 2021 Fish Anthology. Blake Morrison judged. The annual award is given for an essay. The next deadline is January 31, 2022.
Fish Publishing, Durrus, Bantry, County Cork, Ireland. Clem Cairns, Editor.
info@fishpublishing.com
fishpublishing.com

Furious Flower
Poetry Prize
Aurielle Marie of Birmingham, Alabama, won the 2021 Furious Flower Poetry Prize for “notes and acknowledgements,” “transhistorical for the men we love,” and “gxrl gospel ii: & so, we were brave.” She received $1,000 and publication in Obsidian, and will give a reading at James Madison University. Erica Hunt judged. The annual award is given for a group of poems exploring Black themes. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.
Furious Flower, Poetry Prize, James Madison University, 500 Cardinal Drive, MSC 3802, Harrisonburg, VA 22807.
furiousflower@jmu.edu
jmu.edu/furiousflower/poetryprize

Great Lakes Colleges Association
New Writers Awards
Marianne Chan of Cincinnati won the 2021 New Writers Award in poetry for her poetry collection, All Heathens (Sarabande Books). Gabriel Bump of Buffalo won in fiction for his novel, Everywhere You Don’t Belong (Algonquin Books). Nina Boutsikaris of New York City won in creative nonfiction for her essay collection, I’m Trying to Tell You I’m Sorry (Black Lawrence Press). The winners will 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 discussions. Oliver Baez Bendorf, Helena Mesa, and Pablo Peschiera judged in poetry; Emily Barton, Robert Olmstead, and Keija Parssinen judged in fiction; and Marin Heinritz, Ira Sukrungruang, and Lili Wright judged in creative nonfiction. The annual awards are given for first books of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction published in the previous year. 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
glca.org/glcaprograms/new-writers-award

Grid Books
Off the Grid Poetry Prize
Sharon Hashimoto of Tukwila, Washington, won the 2021 Off the Grid Poetry Prize for More American. She received $1,000, and her book will be published by Off the Grid Press. Marilyn Nelson 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
grid-books.org/off-the-grid-press

Hidden River Arts
Willow Run Poetry Book Award
João Luís Barreto Guimarães of Porto, Portugal, won the 2020 Willow Run Poetry Book Award for Mediterranean. He received $1,000, and his book will be published by Hidden River Press. The editors judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.
Hidden River Arts, Willow Run Poetry Book Award, P.O. Box 63927, Philadelphia, PA 19147.
hiddenriverarts@gmail.com
hiddenriverartssubmissions.submittable.com/submit/95219/willow-run-poetry-book-award

Howling Bird Press
Book Contest
Jean Prokott of Rochester, Minnesota, won the 2021 Howling Bird Press Book Contest for her poetry collection, The Second Longest Day of the Year. She received $1,000, and her book will be published by Howling Bird Press in the fall. The annual award is given in alternating years for a poetry collection, book of fiction, and book of nonfiction. The 2022 prize will be awarded in fiction. (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

Jewish Book Council
Berru National Jewish Book Award for Poetry
Lisa Richter of Toronto won the 2020 Berru National Jewish Book Award for Poetry for Nautilus and Bone (Frontenac House). 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 published during the previous year. The next deadline is October 1.
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
jewishbookcouncil.org

John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Writing Fellowships
Twenty-six writers received 2021 Guggenheim Fellowships in creative writing. The fellows in poetry are Ellen Bass of Santa Cruz, California; Don Mee Choi of Seattle; Andrea Cohen of Watertown, Massachusetts; Stephen Kuusisto of Syracuse; Sandra Lim of Cambridge, Massachusetts; Tracie Morris of New York City; Craig Morgan Teicher of Verona, New Jersey; Roberto José Tejada of Houston; Connie Voisine of Las Cruces, New Mexico; and Mark Wunderlich of Catskill, New York. The fellows in fiction are Kaitlyn Greenidge of Westborough, Massachusetts; Mitchell S. Jackson of Chicago; Tayari Jones of Atlanta; Daniel Mason of Palo Alto, California; and Laura van den Berg and Paul Yoon, both of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Sanford, Florida. The fellows in nonfiction are Alexander Chee of Hanover, New Hampshire; Ian Frazier of Montclair, New Jersey; William Giraldi of Cambridge, Massachusetts; Farah Jasmine Griffin and Kate Zambreno, both of New York City; Helen Molesworth of Los Angeles; George Prochnik and Wendell Steavenson, both of London; Robert Sullivan of Philadelphia; and Michelle Tea of Glendale, California. 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.
gf.org

Langum Foundation
Prize in American Historical Fiction
Jess Walter of Spokane, Washington, won the 2020 David J. Langum Sr. Prize in American Historical Fiction for The Cold Millions (Harper). He 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 in American Historical Fiction, 2809 Berkeley Drive, Birmingham, AL 35242.
djlangum@samford.edu
langumfoundation.org

Ledbury Poetry Festival
Poetry Competition
Kim Moore of Cumbria, England, won the 2020 Poetry Competition for “All Night a Bird.” She received £1,000 (approximately $1,318); a course at Ty Newydd, the National Writing Centre of Wales; publication of her poem on the Ledbury Poetry Festival website; and an invitation to read at the festival in July. Liz Berry judged. The annual award is given for a single poem. (See Deadlines.)
Ledbury Poetry Festival, Poetry Competition, Master’s House, St. Katherine’s, Bye Street, Ledbury, Herefordshire, HR8 1EA, England. Sandra Dudley, Finance Manager.
finance@poetry-festival.co.uk
poetry-festival.co.uk/ledbury-poetry-competition

Literary Arts
Oregon Literary Fellowships
Fiction writer Sandy Tanaka of Portland and nonfiction writer Annie Sheppard of Cottage Grove received 2021 Oregon Literary Career Fellowships of $10,000. Poets Amy Miller of Ashland and Alyssa Ogi of Portland; Kesha Ajose-Fisher of Portland, Pedro Hoffmeister of Eugene, and Emily Woodworth of Sisters; and nonfiction writers Scott Korb and A. M. Rosales, both of Portland, received 2021 Oregon Literary Fellowships of $3,500. Jaswinder Bolina, Susan Briante, and Aimee Phan judged. The annual fellowships are given to Oregon writers to help them initiate, develop, or complete a literary project. The next deadline is October 15.
Literary Arts, Oregon Literary Fellowships, 925 SW Washington Street, Portland, OR 97205. (503) 227-2583. Susan Moore, Director of Programs for Writers.
susan@literary-arts.org
literary-arts.org

Michigan Quarterly Review
Lawrence Foundation Prize
Aya Osuga A. of Playa Venao, Panama, won the 43rd annual Lawrence Foundation Prize for “Kappa,” which appeared in the Spring 2020 issue of Michigan Quarterly Review. She received $2,000. Lillian Li judged. The annual award is given for a short story published in Michigan Quarterly Review in the previous year. There is no application process.
Laurence Goldstein Poetry Prize
Bret Shepard of Radnor, Pennsylvania, won the 19th annual Laurence Goldstein Poetry Prize for “Here but Elsewhere.” He received $500, and the poem will be published in the Winter 2022 issue of Michigan Quarterly Review. A. Van Jordan judged. The annual award is given for a single poem. The next deadline is December 31.
Page Davidson Clayton Prize
Demetrius Buckley of Detroit won the 12th annual Page Davidson Clayton Prize for Emerging Poets for “Letters From Daddy” which appeared in the Fall 2020 issue of Michigan Quarterly Review. He received $500. Katie Willingham 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
michiganquarterlyreview.com

National Book Critics Circle
Book Awards
francine j. harris of Houston received the 2021 National Book Critics Circle Award in poetry for Here Is the Sweet Hand (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). The finalists were Victoria Chang of Los Angeles for Obit (Copper Canyon Press); Amaud Jamaul Johnson of Madison, Wisconsin, for Imperial Liquor (University of Pittsburgh Press); Chris Nealon Washington, D.C., for The Shore (Wave Books); and Danez Smith of Minneapolis for Homie (Graywolf Press). Maggie O’Farrell of Edinburgh received the fiction award for her novel Hamnet (Knopf). The finalists were Martin Amis of New York City for Inside Story (Knopf); the late Randall Kenan for If I Had Two Wings (Norton); Souvankham Thammavongsa of Toronto for How to Pronounce Knife (Little, Brown); and Bryan Washington of Houston for Memorial (Riverhead Books). Cathy Park Hong of New York City received the autobiography award for Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning (One World). The finalists were Shayla Lawson of New York City for This Is Major: Notes on Diana Ross, Dark Girls, and Being Dope (Harper Perennial); Riva Lehrer of Chicago for Golem Girl (One World); Wayétu Moore of New York City for The Dragons, the Giant, the Women (Graywolf Press); and Alia Volz of San Francisco for Home Baked: My Mom, Marijuana, and the Stoning of San Francisco (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). Tom Zoellner of Los Angeles won the nonfiction award for Island on Fire: The Revolt That Ended Slavery in the British Empire (Harvard University Press). The finalists were Walter Johnson of Cambridge, Massachusetts, for The Broken Heart of America: St. Louis and the Violent History of the United States (Basic Books); James Shapiro of New York City for Shakespeare in a Divided America: What His Plays Tell Us About Our Past and Future (Penguin Press); Sarah Smarsh of Kingman, Kansas, for She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs (Scribner); and Isabel Wilkerson of Washington, D.C., for Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents (Random House). Amy Stanley of Evanston, Illinois, won the biography award for Stranger in the Shogun’s City: A Japanese Woman and Her World (Scribner). The finalists were Zachary D. Carter of New York City for The Price of Peace: Money, Democracy, and the Life of John Maynard Keynes (Random House); Heather Clark of Chappaqua, New York, and Yorkshire, England, for Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath (Knopf ); Maggie Doherty of Cambridge, Massachusetts, for The Equivalents: A Story of Art, Female Friendship, and Liberation in the 1960s (Knopf); and the late Les Payne and Tamara Payne of New York City for The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X (Liveright). Nicole R. Fleetwood of New Brunswick, New Jersey, received the criticism award for Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration (Harvard University Press). The finalists were Cristina Rivera Garza of Houston for Grieving: Dispatches From a Wounded Country (Feminist Press); Vivian Gornick of New York City for Unfinished Business: Notes of a Chronic Re-Reader (Farrar, Straus and Giroux); Namwali Serpell of Cambridge, Massachusetts, for Stranger Faces (Transit Books); and Wendy A. Woloson of Philadelphia for Crap: A History of Cheap Stuff in America (University of Chicago Press). 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
Raven Leilani of New York City won the John Leonard Prize for her novel, Luster (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). The annual award is given for a first book in any genre published in the previous year. 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

New Millennium Writings
New Millennium Writing Awards
Doris Ferleger of Wyncote, Pennsylvania, won the 50th New Millennium Poetry Award for “Pass Over.” Peter Newall of Odessa, Ukraine, won the Fiction Prize for “The Chinese General.” Robyn Carter of San Francisco won the Flash Fiction Prize for “Excelsior.” Yannick Thoraval of Melbourne, Australia, won the Nonfiction Prize for “Learning to Die and Live: Twenty-Four Hours in Evacuation.” 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 Writing Awards, 4021 Garden Drive, Knoxville, TN 37918. Alexis Williams, Editor.
newmillenniumwritings.org

Nightboat Books
Poetry Prize
Wo Chan, Chia-Lun Chang, and imogen xtian smith, all of New York City, and Tiff Dressen of San Francisco won the 2020 Nightboat Poetry Prize. Chan won for Togetherness, Chang won for Prescribee, smith won for stemmy things, and Dressen won for Of Mineral. They each received $1,000, publication of their book by Nightboat Books, and 25 author copies. Kazim Ali, Gia Gonzales, Stephen Motika, and Caelan Nardone judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. The next deadline is November 15.
Nightboat Books, Poetry Prize, 310 Nassau Avenue #205, Brooklyn, NY 11222.
info@nightboat.org
nightboat.org

North Carolina Writers’ Network
Rose Post Creative Nonfiction Competition
Heather Bell Adams of Raleigh, North Carolina, won the 2021 Rose Post Creative Nonfiction Competition for “Show Me.” She received $1,000, and her essay will be considered for publication in Ecotone. Destiny O. Birdsong 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, 2022.
Jacobs/Jones African American Literary Prize
Isaac Hughes Green of Durham, North Carolina, won the 2021 Jacobs/Jones African American Literary Prize for “Fifteens.” He received $1,000, and his story will be considered for publication in the Carolina Quarterly. W. Ralph Eubanks judged. The annual award is given for a short story or an essay by an African American writer who resides in North Carolina. The next deadline is January 2, 2022.
Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize
Lou Schlesinger of Shelby, North Carolina, won the 2021 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize for “Post-Traumatic MoonPie.” He received $1,000, and his story will be considered for publication in Thomas Wolfe Review. Therese Anne Fowler judged. The annual award is given for a short story. The next deadline is January 30, 2022.
North Carolina Writers’ Network, P.O. Box 21591, Winston-Salem, NC 27120. Ed Southern, Contact.
ed@ncwriters.org
ncwriters.org

Omnidawn Publishing
Open Book Prize
Brandan Griffin of New York City won the Open Book Prize for Impastoral. He received $3,000, publication of his book by Omnidawn Publishing, and 100 author copies. Brian Teare judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. (See Deadlines.)
Omnidawn Publishing, Open Book Prize, 1632 Elm Avenue, Richmond, CA 94805. (510) 237-5472. Rusty Morrison and Ken Keegan, Coeditors.
omnidawn.com

Perugia Press
Perugia Press Prize
Rebecca Pelky of Potsdam, New York, won the 2021 Perugia Press Prize for Through a Red Place. 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 writer who identifies as a woman. The next deadline is November 15.
Perugia Press, Perugia Press Prize, P.O. Box 60364, Florence, MA 01062. Rebecca Olander, Director.
perugiapress.org

Ploughshares
Alice Hoffman Prize for Fiction
Kaitlyn Greenidge of New York City won the 2020 Alice Hoffman Prize for Fiction for her story “Doers of the Word,” which was published in the Summer 2020 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
pshares.org

Poetry Society of America
Frost Medal
N. Scott Momaday of Santa Fe, New Mexico, won the 2021 Frost Medal. Momaday, whose most recent poetry collection is The Death of Sitting Bear (Harper, 2020), 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.
poetrysociety.org

Poets & Writers, Inc.
Jackson Poetry Prize
Carl Phillips of Saint Louis won the 15th annual Jackson Poetry Prize. Phillips, whose most recent book is Pale Colors in a Tall Field (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2020), received $75,000. Jericho Brown, Carolyn Forché, and Juan Felipe Herrera judged. The annual award is given to “an American poet of exceptional talent.” There is no application process.
Poets & Writers, Inc., 90 Broad Street, Suite 2100, New York, NY 10004. (212) 226-3586.
pw.org

Rattle
Poetry Prize Readers’ Choice Award
Kitty Carpenter of Salem, Missouri, won the 2020 Rattle Poetry Prize Readers’ Choice Award for “Farm Sonnet.” She received $5,000, and her poem was published in Issue 70 of Rattle. The editors selected the finalists and Rattle subscribers chose the winner. The annual award is given for a single poem. The next deadline is July 15.
Neil Postman Award for Metaphor
José A. Alcántara of Carbondale, Colorado, won the 2021 Neil Postman Award for Metaphor for “Divorce.” He received $2,000, and his poem was published in Issue 70 of Rattle. The editors judged. The annual award is given for a single 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
rattle.com

Red Hen Press
Novella Award
Ruyan Meng of Frisco, Texas, won the 2020 Novella Award for Only the Cat Knows. She received $1,000, and her novella will be published by Red Hen Press in fall 2022. Donna Hemans judged. The biennial award is given for a novella. The next deadline is July 31, 2022.
Red Hen Press, Novella Award, P.O. Box 40820, Pasadena, CA 91114. (626) 406-1203. Rebeccah Sanhueza, Production Editor.
editorial@redhen.org
redhen.org

Red Wheelbarrow
Poetry Prize
AE Hines of Portland, Oregon, won the 2020 Poetry Prize for “Faustian Bargain.” He received $1,000 and publication in Red Wheelbarrow, and Greenhouse Review Press produced a letterpress broadside of his poem. Dorianne Laux and Joseph Millar judged. The annual award is given for a single poem. (See Deadlines.)
Red Wheelbarrow, Poetry Prize, De Anza College, 21250 Stevens Creek Boulevard, Cupertino, CA 95014.
weisnerken@deanza.edu
deanza.edu/english/creative-writing/red-wheelbarrow.html

Salem State University
Claire Keyes Poetry Award
Chivas Sandage of Easthampton, Massachusetts, won the 2021 Claire Keyes Poetry Award for a group of poems. She received $1,000, and her poems were published in Volume 43 of Soundings East. Afaa Michael Weaver judged. The annual award is given for a group of poems. The next deadline is February 15, 2022.
Salem State University, Claire Keyes Poetry Award, Soundings East, English Department, 352 Lafayette Street, Salem, MA 01970. Kevin Carey, Advisory Editor.
salemstate.edu/campus-life/arts/creative-writing/soundings-east

Schaffner Press
Nicholas Schaffner Award for Music in Literature
Bruce Bond of Denton, Texas, won the seventh annual Nicholas Schaffner Award for Music in Literature for his poetry collection Liberation of Dissonance. He received $1,000, and his book will be published by Schaffner Press in 2022. The annual award is given for a poetry collection, novel, short story collection, essay collection, or memoir that “deals in some way with the subject of music and its influence.” The next deadline is December 31.
Schaffner Press, Nicholas Schaffner Award for Music in Literature, P.O. Box 41567, Tucson, AZ 85717.
schaffnerpress.com

Sewanee Review
Fiction, Poetry, and Nonfiction Contest
Kara Olson of Minneapolis won the third annual Sewanee Review poetry contest for “Last Night.” Becky Shirley of New York City won the fiction contest for “Poppy.” Margot Parmenter of Savannah won the nonfiction contest for “Amongst Reasonable Men.” They each received $1,000 and publication in the Winter 2021 issue of the Sewanee Review. Donika Kelly judged in poetry, Garth Greenwell judged in fiction, and Melissa Febos judged in nonfiction. The annual awards are given for a group of poems, a short story, and an essay. (See Deadlines.)
Sewanee Review, Fiction, Poetry, and Nonfiction Contest, 735 University Avenue, Sewanee, TN 37383. (931) 598-1185.
sewaneereview@sewanee.edu
thesewaneereview.com/contest

Stone Canoe
Literary Awards
B. Fulton Jennes of Ridgefield, Connecticut won the 2021 Bea Gonzalez Prize for Poetry for “Sweet Lack” and “Other Hungers.” Ethan Gormley of Liverpool, New York, won the Robert Colley Prize for Fiction for his story “Regulator.” They each received $500, and their winning works were published in Issue 15 of Stone Canoe. The editors judged. The annual awards are given for a poem or a group of poems and a short short story by 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.
ycny.org/stone-canoe

The Story Prize
Deesha Philyaw of Pittsburgh won the 2020 Story Prize for The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (West Virginia University Press). She received $20,000. The finalists were Sarah Shun-lien Bynum of Los Angeles for Likes (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) and Danielle Evans of Baltimore for The Office of Historical Corrections (Riverhead Books). They each received $5,000. Ismail Muhammad, Margot Sage-EL, and Karen Shepard judged. Asako Serizawa of Boston won the 2020 Story Prize Spotlight Award for Inheritors (Doubleday). 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
thestoryprize.org

Tucson Festival of Books
Literary Awards
Samyak Shertok of Salt Lake City won the 2021 poetry award for his poem “A Haunting.” Céline Keating of New York City won the fiction award for her story “The Stark Beauty of Last Things.” Carol Marsh of Washington, D.C., won the nonfiction award for her essay “The Law of Simultaneous Contrast.” Felicia Zamora judged in poetry, Shannon Pufahl judged in fiction, and Tom Zoellner judged in nonfiction. The winners each received $1,000. 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 Iowa Press
Short Fiction Awards
Cara Blue Adams of New York City won the 2021 John Simmons Short Fiction Award for You Never Get It Back. Blake Sanz of Denver won the Iowa Short Fiction Award for the Boundaries of Their Dwelling. Both books will be published by University of Iowa Press in the fall. Brandon Taylor judged. The annual awards are given for debut story collections. The next deadline is September 30.
University of Iowa Press, Short Fiction Awards, c/o Iowa Writers’ Workshop, 507 North Clinton Street, 102 Dey House, Iowa City, IA 52242. (319) 335-2000.
uipress@uiowa.edu
uipress.uiowa.edu

University of Pittsburgh Press
Drue Heinz Literature Prize
Joanna Pearson of Carrboro, North Carolina, won the 2021 Drue Heinz Literature Prize for Now You Know It All. She received $15,000, and her book will be published by University of Pittsburgh Press. Edward P. Jones 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, 4th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15260.
info@pitt.edu
upittpress.org

Winning Writers
Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest
Tony Keith Jr. of Washington, D.C., won the 2020 Tom Howard Poetry Contest for “Black Man on Fire.” Kayleb Rae Candrilli of Philadelphia won the 2020 Margaret Reid Poetry Contest for “Ghazals Connected as Though Cargo Freights.” They each received $3,000, publication on the Winning Writers website, and a two-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 Contest, 351 Pleasant Street Suite B, PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060. Adam Cohen, President.
winningwriters.com