July/August 2025 - Recent Winners

Academy for Teachers

“Stories Out of School” Flash Fiction Contest

Anne P. Beatty of Greensboro, North Carolina, won the 2025 “Stories Out of School” Flash Fiction Contest for “Lockdown Drill.” She received $1,000 and publication in A Public Space. Rebecca Makkai judged. The annual award is given for a work of flash fiction about teachers and school in which the protagonist or narrator is a K–12 teacher. (See Deadlines.)

Academy for Teachers, “Stories Out of School” Flash Fiction Contest, 178 Columbus Avenue, P.O. Box 231167, New York, NY 10023. Jeff Wills, Chief Operations Officer. jeff@academyforteachers.org academyforteachers.org/contests

Academy of American Poets

First Book Award

Daniel Moysaenko of Chagrin Valley, Ohio, won the 2025 First Book Award for Overtakelessness. He will receive $5,000 and publication of his book by Graywolf Press in April 2026. His work will also be featured on the Academy of American Poets website and in American Poets, and copies of his book will be distributed to over 5,000 members of the Academy of American Poets. Alberto Ríos judged. The annual award is given to a poet who has not published a poetry collection in a standard edition. (See Deadlines.)

Academy of American Poets, First Book Award, 75 Maiden Lane, Suite 901, New York, NY 10038. (212) 274-0343, ext. 13. Nikay Paredes, Programs Director.
awards@poets.org poets.org/academy-american-poets/prizes/first-book-award

American Academy of Arts and Letters

Literature Awards

Fifteen writers were among those to receive awards in literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Fiction writer Charles D’Ambrosio of Iowa City received the $25,000 Merit Medal for the Short Story, given for outstanding achievement in the genre. Poet Spencer Reece of North Kingstown, Rhode Island, received the $20,000 John Updike Award, given biennially to a writer “in midcareer who has demonstrated consistent excellence.” Fiction writer Jamel Brinkley of Iowa City won the $20,000 Harold D. Vursell Memorial Award, given annually to a prose writer whose work “merits recognition for the quality of its style.” Creative nonfiction writer Johny Pitts of London won the $20,000 E. M. Forster Award, given annually to “a talented young writer from the United Kingdom or Ireland toward a stay in the United States.” Fiction writer Kaveh Akbar of Iowa City won the $10,000 Rosenthal Family Foundation Award for Literature for Martyr! (Knopf); the annual award is given for “a work of fiction published during the preceding year that is a considerable literary achievement.” Fiction writer Rita Bullwinkel of San Francisco received the $10,000 Addison M. Metcalf Award, given biennially to “honor young writers of great promise.” The winners of the Arts and Letters Awards in Literature included poet Marie Howe of New York City; poet and translator Rowan Ricardo Phillips of Barcelona and New York City; fiction writer Paul Yoon of Hudson Valley, New York; fiction and creative nonfiction writers Jenny McPhee and Ed Park, both of New York City; creative nonfiction writers Nell Irvin Painter of Princeton, New Jersey, and Robert Sullivan of Philadelphia; and creative nonfiction writer and translator Emily Wilson of Philadelphia. They each received $10,000. The annual awards are given to poets, fiction writers, creative nonfiction writers, and translators to “encourage creative work” in literature. Nora Lange of Salt Lake City received the $5,000 Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction for her novel, Us Fools (Two Dollar Radio); the annual award honors a debut book of fiction published in the previous year. There is no application process.

American Academy of Arts and Letters, 633 West 155th Street, New York, NY 10032. (212) 368-5900.
info@artsandletters.org artsandletters.org

American Poetry Review

Honickman First Book Prize

I.S. Jones of Chicago won the 2025 Honickman First Book Prize for Bloodmercy. She received $3,000, and her collection will be published in September by American Poetry Review with distribution by Copper Canyon Press through Consortium. Nicole Sealey judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection by a writer who has not yet published a book of poetry. The next deadline is October 1.

American Poetry Review, Honickman First Book Prize, 1906 Rittenhouse Square, 3rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103. (215) 309-3722. Elizabeth Scanlon, Editor in Chief. escanlon@aprweb.org aprweb.org

Bedford Competition

International Short Story & Poetry Competitions

Panika M.C. Dillon of Austin won the 2024 International Poetry Competition for “Two Cents for Young Goodman Bryan.” Bostan Nurlanov of Canberra, Australia, won the Short Story Competition for “The Eye and the Hand.” They each received £1,500 (approximately $1,994) and publication in the Bedford Competition anthology. Jessica Mookherjee judged in poetry, and Liv Maidment judged in fiction. The annual awards are given for a poem and a short story. The next deadline is October 31.

Bedford Competition, International Short Story & Poetry Competitions, 28 Miller Road, Bedford, MK42 9NZ, England. Philip Carey, Technical Adviser. thebedfordcompetition@gmail.com bedfordwritingcompetition.co.uk

Book Industry Charitable Foundation

Susan Kamil Emerging Writers Prize

Two booksellers won the 2024 Susan Kamil Emerging Writers Prize. Poet Rachel Dillon of Boston for her poetry-collection-in-progress, “Life’s Book,” and Brendan McHugh of San Francisco for his hybrid-manuscript-in-progress, “Speaking Through the Earthquake.” They each received $10,000. The annual awards are given for excerpts of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction manuscripts-in-progress written by booksellers. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.

Book Industry Charitable Foundation, Susan Kamil Emerging Writers Prize, 3135 South State Street, Suite 203, Ann Arbor, MI 48108. (866) 733-9064. Kate Weiss, Operations Manager.
info@bincfoundation.org bincfoundation.org/susankamil-scholarship

California State University in Fresno

Philip Levine Prize for Poetry

Amanda Hodes of Oberlin, Ohio, won the 2024 Philip Levine Prize for Poetry for Into the Into of Earth Itself. She received $2,000, and her book will be published by Black Lawrence Press. She will also receive 25 author copies. Diana Khoi Nguyen judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. The next deadline is September 30.

California State University in Fresno, Philip Levine Prize for Poetry, English Department, 5245 N. Backer Avenue, M/S PB98, Fresno, CA 93740. Brynn Saito, Contest Coordinator.
bsaito@mail.fresnostate.edu fresnostate.edu/levineprize

Cave Canem Foundation

Cave Canem Prize

Brandon Kilbourne of Berlin won the 2025 Cave Canem Prize for Natural History. He will receive $10,000, and his book will be published by Graywolf Press in November. He will also receive 15 author copies. Natasha Trethewey judged. The annual award is given for a debut poetry collection by a Black poet. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.

Cave Canem Foundation, Cave Canem Prize, 65 Bleecker Street, Floor 8, New York, NY 10012. (718) 858-0000.
info@ccpoets.org cavecanempoets.org/programs/#prizes

Claremont Graduate University

Kingsley and Kate Tufts Poetry Awards

Jaswinder Bolina of Miami, Florida, won the 33rd annual Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award for English as a Second Language and Other Poems (Copper Canyon Press). He received $100,000. The annual award is given for a book of poetry by a midcareer poet published in the previous year. Ariana Benson of St. Louis won the 32nd annual Kate Tufts Discovery Award for Black Pastoral (University of Georgia Press). She received $10,000. The annual award is given for a first book of poetry published in the previous year. Both prizes were judged by Ellen Bass, Major Jackson, Donika Kelly, Tomás Q. Morín, and Divya Victor. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.

Claremont Graduate University, Kingsley and Kate Tufts Poetry Awards, 160 East 10th Street, Harper East B7, Claremont, CA 91711. (909) 621-8974.
tufts@cgu.edu arts.cgu.edu/tufts-poetry-awards

Cleveland Foundation

Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards

Janice N. Harrington of Champaign, Illinois, won the 90th annual Anisfield-Wolf Book Award in poetry for Yard Show (BOA Editions). Danzy Senna of Los Angeles won the award in fiction for Colored Television (Riverhead Books). Jonathan D. S. Schroeder of Providence won the award in nonfiction for The United States Governed by Six Hundred Thousand Despots: A True Story of Slavery; A Rediscovered Narrative, With a Full Biography (University of Chicago Press). Tessa Hulls of Juneau, Alaska, and Seattle won the award in memoir for Feeding Ghosts (MCD). Poet, fiction writer, and memoirist Yusef Komunyakaa of New York City, whose work has most recently been compiled in I Said That Love Heals From Inside (Wesleyan University Press), won the Lifetime Achievement Award. They will each receive $10,000. Peter Ho Davies, Charles King, Tiya Miles, Deesha Philyaw, and Natasha Trethewey judged. The annual awards are given to honor books of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction published in the previous year that “contribute to our understanding of racism and our appreciation of cultural diversity.” The next deadline is December 31.

Cleveland Foundation, Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards, 6601 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44103. (216) 861-3810.
submit@anisfield-wolf.org anisfield-wolf.org

Coffee-House Poetry

Troubadour International Poetry Prize

Imogen Wade of Surrey, England, won the 2024 Troubadour International Poetry Prize for “Poem About Love.” She received £2,000 (approximately $2,657). Weijia Pan of Oakland won the second-place prize for “Variations on a Line in Psalms.” He received £1,000 (approximately $1,329). Both poems were published on the Coffee-House Poetry website, and the winners participated in a virtual reading with the judges, Glyn Maxwell and Jane Yeh, in December. The annual award is given for a single poem. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.

Coffee-House Poetry, Troubadour International Poetry Prize, P.O. Box 16210, London, W4 1ZP, England.
poems@coffeehousepoetry.org coffeehousepoetry.org/prizes

Comstock Review

Muriel Craft Bailey Memorial Poetry Award

Bridget O’Bernstein of New York City won the 2024 Muriel Craft Bailey Memorial Poetry Award for “Doctor,”. She received $1,000 and publication in Comstock Review. Charles Rafferty judged. The annual award is given for a single poem. (See Deadlines.)

Comstock Review, Muriel Craft Bailey Memorial Poetry Award, 4956 St. John Drive, Syracuse, NY 13215.
poetry@comstockreview.org comstockreview.org

Copper Nickel

Jake Adam York Prize

Bo Hee Moon of Houston won the ninth annual Jake Adam York Prize for Birthstones in the Province of Mercy. She received $2,000, and her book will be published by Milkweed Editions in January 2026. Matthew Olzmann judged. The annual award is given for a first or second poetry collection. The next deadline is October 15.

Copper Nickel, Jake Adam York Prize, University of Colorado, English Department, Campus Box 175, P.O. Box 173364, Denver, CO 80217. Wayne Miller, Editor. wayne.miller@ucdenver.edu copper-nickel.org/bookprize

Dogwood

Literary Awards

Mamie Morgan of Greenville, South Carolina, won the 2025 Dogwood Literary Award in poetry for “Frat.” Olivia Gatwood of Ojai, California, won the award in fiction for “BOB.” Israel Gross of Phoenix, Maryland, won the award in nonfiction for “Variation.” They each received $1,000, and their works will be published in the 2025 issue of Dogwood. Jessica L. Walsh judged in poetry, Kesha Ajọsẹ-Fisher judged in fiction, and Nikkya Hargrove 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. 2788. Sonya Huber, Editor. shuber@fairfield.edu dogwoodliterary.wordpress.com

Ghost Story

Screw Turn Flash Fiction Competition

Kyle Placet of Santa Cruz, California, won the Winter 2025 Screw Turn Flash Fiction Competition for his story “Psychopomp.” He received $1,000, and his story was published on the Ghost Story website. The editors judged. The award is given biannually for a work of flash fiction with a supernatural or magical realist theme. (See Deadlines.)

Ghost Story, Screw Turn Flash Fiction Competition, P.O. Box 601, Union, ME 04862. Paul Guernsey, Editor.
editor@theghoststory.com theghoststory.com/flash-fiction-competition

Grid Books

Off The Grid Poetry Prize

Elton Glaser of Akron, Ohio, won the 2025 Off the Grid Poetry Prize for Soul Patch. He received $1,000, and his book will be published in print and audiobook formats by Grid Books. The annual award is given for a poetry collection by a writer over the age of 60. (See Deadlines.)

Grid Books, Off the Grid Poetry Prize, 118 Wilson Street, Beacon, NY 12508. Elizabeth Murphy, Editor in Chief.
info@grid-books.org grid-books.org/off-the-grid-press

Howling Bird Press

Book Prize

Annie Bruno of Long Beach, California, won the 2025 Howling Bird Press Book Prize for her novel, The Field Road. She received $2,500, 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, a book of fiction, and a book of nonfiction. The 2026 prize will be awarded in nonfiction. (See Deadlines.)

Howling Bird Press, Book Prize, Augsburg University, 2211 Riverside Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55454. Nayt Rundquist, Publisher.
rundquis@augsburg.edu engage.augsburg.edu/howlingbird

Jewish Book Council

Berru Poetry Award in Memory of Ruth and Bernie Weinflash

Daniel Khalastchi of Iowa City won the ninth Berru Poetry Award in Memory of Ruth and Bernie Weinflash for The Story of Your Obstinate Survival (University of Wisconsin Press). He received $1,000. The annual award is given for a book of poetry with Jewish themes published during the previous year. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.

Jewish Book Council, Berru Poetry Award in Memory of Ruth and Bernie Weinflash, 520 Eighth Avenue, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10018. (212) 201-2920. Naomi Firestone-Teeter, CEO.
njba@jewishbooks.org jewishbookcouncil.org

John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation

Writing Fellowships

Thirty writers received 2025 Guggenheim Fellowships. The fellows in poetry are Dan Albergotti of Tampa, Florida; Matthew Cooperman of Fort Collins, Colorado; Cynthia Cruz of Berlin; francine j. harris of Houston; Richie Hofmann of Chicago; Jessica Jacobs of Asheville, North Carolina; Mihaela Diana Moscaliuc of Ocean, New Jersey; Brandon D. Som of the traditional and unceded territory of the Kumeyaay Nation; Corey Van Landingham of Champaign, Illinois; and David Yezzi of Baltimore. The fellows in fiction are Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Marie-Helene Bertino, Katie Kitamura, Nicole Krauss, and Christine Smallwood, all of New York City; Sheila Heti of Toronto; Tania James of Washington, D.C.; Miranda July of Los Angeles; Jonathan Lethem of Claremont, California; and Nell Zink of Bad Belzig, Germany. The fellows in general nonfiction are Louis Chude-Sokei of Boston; Sloane Crosley, Harold Holzer, Andrew Meier, and Kristen Radtke, all of New York City; Carolyn Dever of Hanover, New Hampshire; Kerry Howley of Los Angeles; Nathaniel Rich of New Orleans; Rachel Shteir of Chicago; and Michael Tisserand of Garfield, Minnesota. The fellowships, which on average range from $60,000 to $65,000 each, are given annually in recognition of “exceptional creative ability.” As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.

John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, Writing Fellowships, 90 Park Avenue, 33rd Floor, New York, NY 10016.
fellowships@gf.org gf.org

Literary Arts

Oregon Book Awards

Charity E. Yoro of Portland received the 2025 Stafford/Hall Award for Poetry for her collection, ten-cent flower & other territories (First Matter Press). Kimberly King Parsons of Portland received the Ken Kesey Award for Fiction for her novel, We Were the Universe (Knopf). Jaclyn Moyer of Corvallis received the Sarah Winnemucca Award for Creative Nonfiction for her memoir, On Gold Hill: A Personal History of Wheat, Farming, and Family From Punjab to California (Beacon Press). Rebecca Clarren of Portland received the Frances Fuller Victor Award for General Nonfiction for her memoir, The Cost of Free Land: Jews, Lakota, and an American Inheritance (Viking Books). They each received $1,000. Mary-Alice Daniel, Mai Der Vang, and Brian Teare judged in poetry. Kevin Brockmeier, Lauren Grodstein, and Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore judged in fiction. Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman, Lars Horn, and Susan Kiyo Ito judged in creative nonfiction. Chris Feliciano Arnold, Chloé Cooper Jones, and Yunte Huang judged in general nonfiction. The annual awards are given for books of poetry and prose by Oregon writers published in the current year. (See Deadlines.)

Literary Arts, Oregon Book Awards, 716 SE Grand Avenue, Portland, OR 97214. (503) 227-2583. Susan Moore, Director of Programs for Writers.
susan@literary-arts.org literary-arts.org

Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition

Krista Jane May of Ladysmith, Canada, won the 2024 Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition for “Blueberries Ahead.” She received $1,500 and publication on the competition website. The annual award is given for a short story by a writer whose fiction has not appeared in a nationally distributed publication with a circulation over 5,000. (See Deadlines.)

Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition, c/o Cynthia D. Higgs, P.O. Box 2011, Key West, FL 33045. Eva Eliot, Editorial Assistant.
shortstorykeywest@hushmail.com shortstorycompetition.com

Louisville Review

National Poetry Book Contest

Deborah Schupack of Croton-on-Hudson, New York, won the 2024 Louisville Review National Poetry Book Contest for When We Were Gun. She received $1,000, and her book will be published by Fleur-de-Lis Press in the fall. Jeanie Thompson judged. The triennial award is given for a debut poetry collection. The next deadline is August 31, 2027.

Louisville Review, National Poetry Book Contest, 1436 St. James Court #1, Louisville, KY 40208. (502) 287-8795. Flora K. Schildknecht, Editor.
editor@louisvillereview.org louisvillereview.org

Money for Women/Barbara Deming Memorial Fund

Individual Artist Grants for Women

Fiction writers Jenna Abrams of Culver City, California; Elina Alter of New York City; Sarah Anderson of Ann Arbor, Michigan; Carrie Cogan of Salt Spring Island, Canada; Siqi Liu of Naperville, Illinois; Mona’a Malik of Montréal; Jasmina Nogo of Durham, North Carolina; Shuchi Saraswat of Boston; and Kisha Lewellyn Schlegel of Walla Walla, Washington, won 2024 Individual Artist Grants for Women. Alter, Liu, and Nogo received grants of $2,000 each. Abrams, Anderson, and Malik received grants of $1,500 each. Cogan, Saraswat, and Schlegel received grants of $1,000 each. The annual grants are given to feminist poets, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers who identify as women and primarily reside in the United States or Canada. Poetry and nonfiction grants are awarded in odd years and fiction grants are awarded in even years. The next deadline is January 31, 2026.

Money for Women/Barbara Deming Memorial Fund, Individual Artist Grants for Women, P.O. Box 717, Bearsville, NY 12409.
demingfund@gmail.com demingfund.org

The Moth

Poetry Prize

Andrew Krivák of Jaffrey, New Hampshire, and Somerville, Massachusetts, won the 2024 Moth Poetry Prize for “Raccoon Baculum Good Luck Charm.” He won €6,000 (approximately $6,706). Naoise Gale of Norwich, England; Anthony Lawrence of Brisbane, Australia; and Shelley Stenhouse of New York City were the runners-up for “Towards Holkham,” “Taipan,” and “The Last Dragons on Earth: A Travelogue,” respectively. They each received €1,000 (approximately $1,118). Fiona Benson judged. The annual award is given for a single poem. The next deadline is December 31.

The Moth, Poetry Prize, Ardan Grange, Milltown, Belturbet, County Cavan, Ireland H14 K768. Rebecca O’Connor, Cofounder and Director.
editor@themothmagazine.com themothmagazine.com

National Book Critics Circle

Book Awards

Anne Carson of Reykjavík received the 2024 National Book Critics Circle Award in poetry for Wrong Norma (New Directions). The finalists were Oliver Baez Bendorf of Longmont, Colorado, for Consider the Rooster (Nightboat Books); Jennifer Chang of Austin for An Authentic Life (Copper Canyon Press); Dawn Lundy Martin of Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, for Instructions for the Lovers (Nightboat Books); and Carl Phillips of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, for Scattered Snows, to the North (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). Hisham Matar of London and New York City received the award in fiction for his novel My Friends (Random House). The finalists were Marie-Helene Bertino and Joseph O’Neill, both of New York City, for Beautyland (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) and Godwin (Pantheon), respectively; Percival Everett of Los Angeles for James (Doubleday); and Nora Lange of Salt Lake City for Us Fools (Two Dollar Radio). Adam Higginbotham of New York City received the award in nonfiction for Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space (Avid Reader Press). The finalists were Steve Coll of Princeton, New Jersey, for The Achilles Trap: Saddam Hussein, the C.I.A., and the Origins of America’s Invasion of Iraq (Penguin Press); Edwidge Danticat of New York City for We’re Alone (Graywolf); Tricia Romano of Seattle for The Freaks Came Out to Write: The Definitive History of the Village Voice, the Radical Paper That Changed American Culture (PublicAffairs); and Gretchen Sisson of San Francisco for Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood (St. Martin’s). Cynthia Carr of New York City received the award in biography for Candy Darling: Dreamer, Icon, Superstar (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). The finalists were Jane Kamensky of Charlottesville, Virginia, for Candida Royalle and the Sexual Revolution: A History From Below (Norton); Tiya Miles of Cambridge, Massachusetts, for Night Flyer: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People (Penguin Press); Amy Reading of Ithaca, New York, for The World She Edited: Katharine S. White at the New Yorker (Mariner); and Jean Strouse of New York City for Family Romance: John Singer Sargent and the Wertheimers (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). The late Alexei Navalny received the award in autobiography for Patriot (Knopf), translated from the Russian by Stephen Dalziel of London and Arch Tait of Cambridge, England. The finalists were Zito Madu and Wei Tchou, both of New York City, for The Minotaur at Calle Lanza (Belt) and Little Seed (Deep Vellum), respectively; Manjula Martin of West Sonoma County, California, for The Last Fire Season: A Personal and Pyronatural History (Pantheon); and Erika Morillo of Jersey City for Mother Archive: A Dominican Family Memoir (University of Iowa). Hanif Abdurraqib of Columbus, Ohio, received the award in criticism for There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension (Random House). The finalists were Claire Bishop and Legacy Russell, both of New York City, for Disordered Attention: How We Look at Art and Performance Today (Verso) and Black Meme: A History of the Images That Make Us (Verso), respectively; Marianne Brooker of Bristol, England, for Intervals (Fitzcarraldo Editions); and Jesse McCarthy of Cambridge, Massachusetts, for The Blue Period: Black Writing in the Early Cold War (University of Chicago Press). The National Book Critics Circle, a professional organization composed of more than 800 book critics and reviewers from across the country, selects the winners of the annual awards, which honor books of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction published in the United States in the previous year. Publishers may also suggest books for consideration by the recommended date of November 1.

John Leonard Prize

Tessa Hulls of Juneau, Alaska, and Seattle won the John Leonard Prize for her graphic memoir, Feeding Ghosts (MCD). The annual award is given for a first book in any genre published in the United States in the previous year. There is no application process.

Gregg Barrios Book in Translation Prize

The late essayist and novelist Pedro Lemebel and translator Gwendolyn Harper of Vaud, Switzerland, won the Gregg Barrios Book in Translation Prize for the essay collection A Last Supper of Queer Apostles (Penguin Classics), translated from the Spanish. The annual award is given for a book in any genre translated into English and published in the United States in the previous year. There is no application process.

National Book Critics Circle, c/o Michael Schaub, Vice President Online. 4600 Keswick Road, Baltimore, MD 21210.
mschaubtx@gmail.com bookcritics.org

National Book Foundation

Science + Literature Award

Three writers received the National Book Foundation’s 2025 Science + Literature Award. They are Ramona Ausubel of Boulder, Colorado, for her novel The Last Animal (Riverhead Books, 2023), Claire Wahmanholm of Minneapolis–St. Paul for her poetry collection Meltwater (Milkweed Editions, 2023), and Ed Yong of Oakland for his book of nonfiction An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us (Random House, 2022). They each received $10,000 and were cel­ebrated at a ceremony in New York City in March. The annual award is given for books published in the last three years that “deepen readers’ understanding of science and technology with a focus on work that highlights the diversity of voices in scientific writing.” Nominations are accepted on a rolling basis.

5 Under 35

Five fiction writers were selected as the National Book Foundation’s 2025 5 Under 35 honorees. They are Stacie Shannon Denetsosie of Logan, Utah, for her story collection, The Missing Morningstar and Other Stories (Torrey House Press, 2023), selected by Mona Susan Power; Megan Howell of Washington, D.C., for her story collection, Softie (West Virginia University Press, 2024), selected by Deesha Philyaw; Maggie Millner of New Haven, Connecticut, for her story-in-verse, Couplets: A Love Story (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2023), selected by C Pam Zhang; Alexander Sammartino of New York City for his novel, Last Acts (Scribner, 2024), selected by George Saunders; and Jemimah Wei of New York City for her novel, The Original Daughter (Doubleday, 2025), selected by Morgan Talty. They each received $1,250 and were cel­ebrated at a ceremony in New York City in June. The annual honor is 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. Ale Romero, Senior Manager of Marketing and Communications. aromero@nationalbook.org nationalbook.org

National Federation of State Poetry Societies

Barbara Stevens Poetry Book Manuscript Competition

Kunjana Parashar of Mumbai won the 2024 Barbara Stevens Poetry Book Manuscript Competition for They Gather Around Me, the Animals. She received $1,000, and her book was published by National Federation of State Poetry Societies Press in June. She also received 50 author copies. Diane Seuss judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. The next deadline is October 15.

National Federation of State Poetry Societies, Barbara Stevens Poetry Book Manuscript Competition, 2230 SE Laura Lane, Dallas, OR 97338. Eleanor Berry, Chair.
stevenschair@nfsps.net nfsps.net

New Literary Project

Jack Hazard Fellowships

Kristin Collier of Minneapolis, Dallas Crow of Atlanta, Will Ejzak of Chicago, Molly Olguín of Seattle, and Anjoli Roy of Honolulu are the recipients of the 2025 Jack Hazard Fellowships. They will each receive $5,000. The awards are given annually to five creative writers from across the United States who teach high school students full-time and are at work on a piece of fiction or creative nonfiction or a memoir. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.

New Literary Project, Jack Hazard Fellowships, 4100 Redwood Road, Suite 20A/424, Oakland, CA 94619. Ian S. Maloney, Program Director.
ian@newliteraryproject.org newliteraryproject.org/jack-hazard-fellowship

Nightboat Books

Poetry Prize

Benjamin Krusling and Hayley Stahl, both of New York City, and Scout Katherine Turkel of Amherst, Massachusetts, won the 2024 Nightboat Poetry Prize. Krusling won for Fear of God Essentials, Stahl won for Performance, and Turkel won for Solitude & Society. They each received $1,200, publication of their book by Nightboat Books, and 25 author copies. The editors judged. The annual award is given for up to four poetry collections. 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

Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize

Anne Turnbow Raustol of Weaverville, North Carolina, won the 2025 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize for “Brown Butter.” She received $1,000, and her story will be published in Thomas Wolfe Review. John Vercher judged. The annual award is given for a short story or novel excerpt. The next deadline is January 30, 2026.

Jacobs/Jones African American Literary Prize

Mildred Kiconco Barya of Asheville, North Carolina, won the 2025 Jacobs/Jones African American Literary Prize for “Sing for the Women.” She received $1,000, and her story will be considered for publication in Carolina Quarterly. Christian J. Collier 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, 2026.

Rose Post Creative Nonfiction Competition

Anne P. Beatty of Greensboro, North Carolina, won the 2025 Rose Post Creative Nonfiction Competition for “Beach Daze.” She received $1,000, and her essay will be considered for publication in Ecotone. Tessa Fontaine 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, 2026.

North Carolina Writers’ Network, P.O. Box 21591, Winston-Salem, NC 27120. Ed Southern, Executive Director.
ed@ncwriters.org ncwriters.org

PEN/Faulkner Foundation

Award for Fiction

Garth Greenwell of Iowa City won the 2025 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction for his novel Small Rain (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). He received $15,000. The finalists were ’Pemi Aguda of Philadelphia for her story collection, Ghostroots (Norton); Susan Muaddi Darraj of Cockeysville, Maryland, for her novel, Behind You Is the Sea (HarperVia); and Percival Everett and Danzy Senna, both of Los Angeles, for their novels James (Doubleday) and Colored Television (Riverhead Books), respectively. They each received $5,000. The winner and finalists were invited to read at the annual PEN/Faulkner Award Celebration in Washington, D.C., in May. Bruce Holsinger, Deesha Philyaw, and Luis Alberto Urrea judged. The annual award is given for a book of fiction published during the previous year. The next deadline is September 30.

PEN/Faulkner Foundation, Award for Fiction, 6218 Georgia Avenue NW, Unit #1062, Washington, D.C. 20011. Sarah Silberman, Awards and Literary Programs Director. sarah@penfaulkner.org penfaulkner.org

Perugia Press

Perugia Press Prize

Holli Carrell of Cincinnati won the 2025 Perugia Press Prize for Apostasies. She received $2,000, and her book will be published by Perugia Press in September. She will also receive 20 author copies. The annual award is given for a first or second poetry collection by a writer who identifies as a woman, “including all gender-expansive definitions of that term.” The next deadline is November 15.

Perugia Press, Perugia Press Prize, P.O. Box 60364, Florence, MA 01062. Rebecca Olander, Editor and Director.
editor@perugiapress.org perugiapress.org

Ploughshares

Alice Hoffman Prize for Fiction

Jen Silverman of New York City won the 14th annual Alice Hoffman Prize for Fiction for “In the Next World, Maybe,” which was published in the Fall 2024 issue of Ploughshares. They received $2,500. The editors judged. The annual award is given for a short story 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. Rachel Dillon, Managing Editor.
pshares@pshares.org pshares.org

Poetry Society of America

Frost Medal

The late Nikki Giovanni won the 2025 Frost Medal. Giovanni’s newest poetry collection is the forthcoming The New Book: Poems, Letters, Blurbs, and Things (HarperCollins, 2025). Her estate received $15,000. 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, 119 Smith Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. (212) 254-9628. info@poetrysociety.org poetrysociety.org

Poets & Writers, Inc.

Jackson Poetry Prize

Cyrus Cassells of Austin won the 19th annual Jackson Poetry Prize. Cassells, whose most recent poetry collection is Everything in Life Is Resurrection: Selected Poems, 1982-2022 (Texas Christian University Press, 2025), received $100,000. James Richardson, Patricia Spears Jones, and Chase Twichell 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, ext. 201. Rachel Schuder, Director of Development and Communications.
rschuder@pw.org pw.org

Rattle

Poetry Prize Readers’ Choice Award

Dave Newman of Trafford, Pennsylvania, won the 2024 Rattle Poetry Prize Readers’ Choice Award for “I’m Trying to Lead This Old-Timey Veteran,” which appeared in Issue 86 of Rattle. He received $5,000. The editors selected the finalists, and Rattle subscribers chose the winner. The annual award is given for a single poem. (See Deadlines.)

Neil Postman Award for Metaphor

Amy Newman of Dekalb, Illinois, won the 2025 Neil Postman Award for Metaphor for “Abandoned Fair,” which appeared in Issue 86 of Rattle. She received $2,000. The editors judged. The annual award is given for a single poem exhibiting the best use of metaphor among submissions Rattle received during the previous year. There is no application process.

Rattle, 12411 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City, CA 91604. Timothy Green, Editor. tim@rattle.com rattle.com

Red Wheelbarrow

Poetry Prize

John Blair of San Marcos, Texas, won the 2024 Red Wheelbarrow Poetry Prize for “Pink Anemone.” He received $1,000, publication in Red Wheelbarrow, and a letterpress broadside of his poem produced by Greenhouse Review Press. Kim Addonizio 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. Ken Weisner, Editor.
weisnerken@deanza.edu deanza.edu/english/creative-writing/red-wheelbarrow.html

Salem State University

Claire Keyes Poetry Award

Stephanie Saywell of New York City won the 2025 Claire Keyes Poetry Award for a group of poems. She received $1,000, and her poems will be published in Volume 47 of Soundings East. Shangyang Fang judged. The annual award is given for a group of poems. The next deadline is February 1, 2026.

Salem State University, Claire Keyes Poetry Award, English Department, MH 249, 352 Lafayette Street, Salem, MA 01970. Kevin Carey, Faculty Advisor.
kcarey@salemstate.edu salemstate.edu/campus-life/arts/creative-writing/soundings-east

San Diego Entertainment & Arts Guild

Steve Kowit Poetry Prize

Devreaux Baker of Mendocino, California, won the 2024 Steve Kowit Poetry Prize for “Body of the Beloved.” She received $1,000, and her poem was published in San Diego Poetry Annual. Ellen Bass judged. The annual award is given for a single poem. The next deadline is October 15.

San Diego Entertainment & Arts Guild, Steve Kowit Poetry Prize, 1953 Huffstatler Street, Suite A, Rainbow, CA 92028. Bill Harding, President.
sdeag1@gmail.com sdeag.org

Sewanee Review

Fiction, Poetry, and Nonfiction Contest

Kyle Okeke of Austin won Sewanee Review’s seventh annual poetry contest for “The Soft Life of a Black Man.” Drew Calvert of Redondo Beach, California, and Ariel Katz of Houston both won the fiction contest for “The Understudy” and “Craters of the Moon,” respectively. Jóhanna Gísladóttir Bissat of Seattle won the nonfiction contest for “The Bandit.” They each received $1,000 and publication in the Spring 2025 issue of Sewanee Review. Shane McCrae judged in poetry, Lorrie Moore judged in fiction, and John Jeremiah Sullivan judged in nonfiction. The annual awards are given for a single poem or 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

The Story Prize

Fiona McFarlane of San Francisco won the 2024 Story Prize for Highway Thirteen (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). She received $20,000. The finalists were Ruben Reyes Jr. of New York City for There Is a Rio Grande in Heaven (Mariner Books) and Jessi Jezewska Stevens of Geneva, Switzerland, for Ghost Pains (And Other Stories). They each received $5,000. The Story Prize staff selected the three finalists, and Elliott Holt, Maurice Carlos Ruffin, and Lucy Yu chose the winner. Ben Shattuck of South Dartmouth, Massachusetts, won the Story Prize Spotlight Award for The History of Sound (Viking). He received $1,000. The Story Prize staff judged. The annual awards are given for story collections published during the previous year. The next deadline is November 15.

The Story Prize, 41 Watchung Plaza, #384, Montclair, NJ 07042. Larry Dark, Director.
info@thestoryprize.org thestoryprize.org

Tucson Festival of Books

Literary Awards

Kateri Kosek of North Ferrisburgh, Vermont, won the 2025 Tucson Festival of Books poetry award for “Moon Roof” and other poems. April Darcy of Metuchen, New Jersey, won the fiction award for her story “Elephants on Parade.” D.A. Navoti of Seattle won the nonfiction award for an excerpt from his memoir “One Pima Pilgrim.” Jose Hernandez Diaz judged in poetry, Jamie Quatro judged in fiction, and David Wright Faladé judged in nonfiction. The winners each received $1,000 and a scholarship to the 2026 Tucson Festival of Books Masters Workshop 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 Iowa Press

Short Fiction Awards

Bruce Johnson of Santiago won the 2025 Iowa Short Fiction Award for Love, Dirt. Jennifer Sears of New York City won the John Simmons Short Fiction Award for What Mennonite Girls Are Good for. Both books will be published by University of Iowa Press in the fall. Margot Livesey judged. The annual awards are given for debut story collections. (See Deadlines.)

University of Iowa Press, Short Fiction Awards, 102 Dey House, Iowa City, IA 52242. (319) 335-2000.
uipress@uiowa.edu uipress.uiowa.edu

Western Connecticut State University

Housatonic Book Awards

Jesse Nathan of Oakland, Cleo Qian of Chicago and New York City, and Jen Soriano of unceded Duwamish territory in Seattle won the 2024 Housatonic Book Awards. Nathan won in poetry for his collection, Eggtooth (Unbound Edition Press); Qian won in fiction for her story collection, Let’s Go, Let’s Go, Let’s Go (Tin House); and Soriano won in nonfiction for their book, Nervous: Essays on Heritage and Healing (Amistad). They each received $1,000, plus $500 in travel expenses as well as a paid hotel stay to give a reading and teach a master class at Western Connecticut State University’s low-residency MFA Program. The annual awards are given for books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction published in the previous year. (See Deadlines.)

Western Connecticut State University, Housatonic Book Awards, Creative and Professional Writing Department, Higgins Hall 219, 181 White Street, Danbury, CT 06810. John Roche, Associate Professor.
rochej@wcsu.edu housatonicbookawards.wordpress.com

Whiting Foundation

Whiting Award

Nine writers won the 2025 Whiting Awards. They are poets Karisma Price of New Orleans and Annie Wenstrup of Fairbanks, Alaska; fiction writers Elwin Cotman of Oakland, Emil Ferris of Chicago, Samuel Kọ́láwọlé of State College, Pennsylvania, Claire Luchette of Binghamton, New York, and Shubha Sunder of Boston; and creative nonfiction writers Aisha Sabatini Sloan of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Sofi Thanhauser of New York City. They each received $50,000. The annual awards are given to exceptional emerging writers “to recognize early-career achievement and empower recipients to fulfill the promise of exceptional literary work to come.” There is no application process. 

Whiting Foundation, 291 Broadway, Suite 1901, New York, NY 10007.
info@whiting.org whiting.org/writers/awards/current-winners

Winning Writers

Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest

D.T. Christensen of Stow, Massachusetts, won the 2024 Tom Howard Poetry Contest for “Shoulder Season.” Serrina Zou of New York City won the Margaret Reid Poetry Contest for “Ars Poetica.” They each received $3,500, publication on the Winning Writers website, and a two-year gift certificate from the literary database Duotrope. Michal ‘MJ’ Jones judged. The annual awards are given for a poem in any style and a poem that rhymes or is written in a traditional style. The next deadline is October 1.

Winning Writers, Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest, 351 Pleasant Street, Suite B PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060. Adam Cohen, President.
info@winningwriters.com winningwriters.com

Yale University Library

Bollingen Prize for American Poetry

Arthur Sze of Santa Fe won the 2025 Bollingen Prize for American Poetry. He received $175,000. Joy Harjo, Sandra Lim, and Karin Roffman judged. The biennial award is given for lifetime achievement in the field of poetry. There is no application process.

Windham-Campbell Prizes

Poets Anthony Vahni Capildeo of York, England, and Tongo Eisen-Martin of San Francisco; fiction writers Anne Enright of Dublin and Sigrid Nunez of New York City; and nonfiction writers Rana Dasgupta of New Haven, Connecticut, and Patricia J. Williams of Boston are among the writers who won the 2025 Windham-Campbell Prizes. They each received $175,000. The annual awards are given to emerging and established poets and prose writers to provide them “with the opportunity to focus on their work independent of financial concerns.” There is no application process.

Patricia Cannon Willis Prize

Major Jackson of Nashville won the inaugural Patricia Cannon Willis Prize for Razzle Dazzle: New and Selected Poems 2002-2022 (Norton, 2023). He received $25,000. Joy Harjo, Sandra Lim, and Karin Roffman judged. The biennial award is given for a book published in the previous two years “written by an American poet at any point in their career.” There is no application process.

Yale University Library, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, 121 Wall Street, New Haven, CT 06501. Michael Morand, Director of Community Engagement.
michael.morand@yale.edu beinecke.library.yale.edu/programs/prizes