September/October 2025 - Recent Winners

African Poetry Book Fund

Evaristo Prize for African Poetry

Ameen Animashaun of Lagos won the 2025 Evaristo Prize for African Poetry for “Song” and other poems. He received $1,500. Tjawangwa Dema, Tsitsi Ella Jaji, and Mahtem Shiferraw judged. The annual award is given for a group of poems by an African poet who has not published a full-length collection. (See Deadlines.)

Glenna Luschei Prize for African Poetry

Momtaza Mehri of London won the 2024 Glenna Luschei Prize for African Poetry for Bad Diaspora Poems (Jonathan Cape). She received $1,000. Aracelis Girmay judged. The annual award is given for a book of poetry by an African poet published in the previous year. (See Deadlines.)

African Poetry Book Fund, Brown University, 102 Rockefeller Library, 10 Prospect Street, Box A, Providence, RI 02912. (401) 863-5209. Siwar Masannat, Assistant Director.
apbf@brown.edu africanpoetrybf.brown.edu/contests

Alice James Books

Alice James Award

Malvika Jolly of New York City won the 2025 Alice James Award for Visiting Hours of the World. She received $2,000, and her book will be published by Alice James Books in March 2027. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. (See Deadlines.)

Alice James Books, Alice James Award, Auburn Hall, 60 Pineland Drive, Suite 206, New Gloucester, ME 04260. (207) 926-8283.
info@alicejamesbooks.orgalicejamesbooks.org/submit

American Academy in Rome

Rome Prize

Poet David Keplinger of Washington, D.C., won the 2025–2026 Joseph Brodsky Rome Prize for his poetry-collection-in-progress, “The More Difficult Life.” Fiction writer Maya Binyam of Los Angeles won the John Guare Writers Fund Rome Prize for her novel-in-progress, “Holy Fool.” They both received $16,000 and a five-month residency at the American Academy in Rome. The annual awards are given for writing projects that involve “advanced independent work and research in the arts and humanities.” (See Deadlines.)

American Academy in Rome, Rome Prize, 535 West 22nd Street, Third Floor, New York, NY 10011. (212) 751-7200, ext. 344. Shawn Miller, Program Director.
s.miller@aarome.org aarome.org/apply/rome-prize

Biographers International Organization

Plutarch Award

Cynthia Carr of New York City and Lucy Hughes-Hallett of London won the 2025 Plutarch Award for Candy Darling: Dreamer, Icon, Superstar (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) and The Scapegoat: The Brilliant Brief Life of the Duke of Buckingham (Harper), respectively. They received $1,500 each. Ruth Franklin, Vanda Krefft, David Maraniss, Lisa Napoli, and Lance Richardson judged. The annual award is given for a biography published in the previous year. The next deadline is December 1.

Biographers International Organization, Plutarch Award, P.O. Box 33020, Santa Fe, NM 87594. Michael Gately, Executive Director. execdirector@biographersinternational.org biographersinternational.org

Blue Mountain Center

Richard J. Margolis Award

Wilbert L. Cooper of New York City won the 2024 Richard J. Margolis Award. He received $5,000 and a monthlong residency at the Blue Mountain Center, a writers and artists retreat in Blue Mountain Lake, New York. The annual award is given to an essayist or journalist whose work “combines warmth, humor, and wisdom, and sheds light on issues of social justice.” The next deadline is July 1, 2026.

Blue Mountain Center, Richard J. Margolis Award, c/o Margolis Bloom & D’Agostino, 20 William Street, Suite 320, Wellesley, MA 02481.
award@margolis.com margolisaward.org

BOA Editions

A. Poulin Jr. Poetry Prize

Leigh Lucas of San Francisco won the 2024 A. Poulin Jr. Poetry Prize for Splashed Things. She received $1,000, and her book will be published by BOA Editions in April 2026. Maya C. Popa judged. The annual award is given for a debut 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. Justine Alfano, Director of Production and Marketing.
contact@boaeditions.org boaeditions.org

Boulevard

Poetry Contest for Emerging Poets

Rachel Stempel of Binghamton, New York, won the 2024 Poetry Contest for Emerging Poets for a group of poems. She received $1,000 and publication in Boulevard. The editors judged. 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. The next deadline is June 1, 2026.

Nonfiction Contest for Emerging Writers

Mohammad Hakima of New York City won the 2024 Nonfiction Contest for Emerging Writers for his essay “Shadows on the Wall.” He received $1,000 and publication in Boulevard. The editors judged. The annual award is given for a work of creative nonfiction by a writer who has not published a book in any genre with a nationally distributed press. (See Deadlines.)

Boulevard, 3829 Hartford Street, St. Louis, MO 63116. Dusty Freund, Editor.
editors@boulevardmagazine.org boulevardmagazine.org

Broadside Lotus Press

Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award

Joanne Godley of Mexico City won the 2025 Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award for How the Panthers Fell From the Sky. She will receive $500, and her book will be published by Broadside Lotus Press in February 2026. The annual award is given for a poetry collection by an African American poet. The next deadline is March 15, 2026.

Broadside Lotus Press, Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award, 10463 San Juan Drive, Detroit, MI 48238. Gloria House, Senior Editor. broadsidelotus@gmail.com broadsidelotuspress.org

Cave Canem Foundation

Derricotte/Eady Chapbook Prize

Mia Word of the Mississippi Delta won the 2025 Derricotte/Eady Chapbook Prize for Great River. She received $1,000; publication by O, Miami Books; and 10 author copies. She also read as part of the O, Miami Poetry Festival’s programming. Brandon D. Johnson judged. The annual award is given for a poetry chapbook by a Black poet. (See Deadlines.)

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

Center for Book Arts

Poetry Chapbook Competition

Laura Kolbe of New York City won the 30th annual Poetry Chapbook Competition for Keeping House. She will receive $1,000 (a $500 honorarium upon winning and a $500 stipend upon participating in the competition reading in November), publication of her chapbook by Center for Book Arts, and a weeklong residency at Millay Arts in Austerlitz, New York. Kwame Dawes judged. The annual award is given for a poetry chapbook. The next deadline is December 15.

Center for Book Arts, Poetry Chapbook Competition, 28 West 27th Street, Third Floor, New York, NY 10001. Camilo Otero, Artists Programs Manager.
camilo@centerforbookarts.org centerforbookarts.org/annual-chapbook-competition

Center for Literary Publishing

Colorado Prize for Poetry

Asha Futterman of New York City won the 31st annual Colorado Prize for Poetry for Song of Gray. She will receive $2,500, and her book will be published by the Center for Literary Publishing at Colorado State University in November. Craig Morgan Teicher judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. The next deadline is January 14, 2026.

Center for Literary Publishing, Colorado Prize for Poetry, Colorado State University, 9105 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523. (970) 491-5449. Stephanie G’Schwind, Director.
creview@colostate.edu coloradoprize.colostate.edu

Cloudbank Books

Vern Rutsala Book Prize

Stephen Knauth of Charlotte, North Carolina, won the 2025 Vern Rutsala Book Prize for his poetry collection Dear Dusk. He received $1,000, publication by Cloudbank Books, and 50 author copies. Christopher Buckley judged. The annual award is given for a collection of poetry, flash fiction, or a combination of the two. (See Deadlines.)

Cloudbank Books, Vern Rutsala Book Prize, P.O. Box 610, Corvallis, OR 97339. Michael Malan, Editor.
michael@cloudbankbooks.com cloudbankbooks.com

Codhill Press

Pauline Uchmanowicz Poetry Award

Daye Phillippo of Attica, Indiana, won the 2024 Pauline Uchmanowicz Poetry Award for Blue Between Owls. She received $1,000, publication of her 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.
james@codhill.com codhill.com

Columbus State University

Donald L. Jordan Prize for Literary Excellence

Melanie Pappadis Faranello of West Hartford, Connecticut, won the 2025 Donald L. Jordan Prize for Literary Excellence for Everybody Needs Something. She received $10,000, and her short story collection will be published by DLJ Books, an imprint of Columbus State University Press, in March 2026. Debra Jo Immergut judged. The annual award is given for a book of fiction or creative nonfiction “that engages a reader with upholding human values, such as trust, generosity, love, gratitude, or responsibility.” (See Deadlines.)

Columbus State University, Donald L. Jordan Prize for Literary Excellence, 256 Arnold Hall, English Department, 4225 University Avenue, Columbus, GA 31907. (706) 565-1231. Allen Gee, Director.
gee_allen@columbusstate.edu columbusstate.edu/jordan-literary-prize

Connecticut Poetry Society

Vivian Shipley Poetry Award

Laurie Zimmerman of Andover, New Hampshire, won the 2024 Vivian Shipley Poetry Award for “Lunar Eclipse Litany, East and West.” She received $1,000 and publication in Connecticut River Review and on the Connecticut Poetry Society website. Aaron Caycedo-Kimura judged. The annual award is given for a single poem. (See Deadlines.)

Connecticut Poetry Society, Vivian Shipley Poetry Award, P.O. Box 98, Cheshire, CT 06410. Ryan Meyer, Contest Chair.
ctpoetryline@gmail.com ctpoetry.org

Creative Writing Ink

Short Story Competition

Jon Stapley of London won the 2024 Creative Writing Ink Short Story Competition for “Slop.” He received £1,000 (approximately $1,346), publication on the Creative Writing Ink website, and a free online writing course with Creative Writing Ink. Helen Moorhouse judged. The annual award is given for a short story. (See Deadlines.)

Creative Writing Ink, Short Story Competition, 124 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX, England. Olive O’Brien, Coordinator.
info@creativewritingink.co.uk creativewritingink.co.uk

Ellen Meloy Fund

Desert Writers Award

Lucas Martin of Bend, Oregon, won the 2025 Ellen Meloy Fund Desert Writers Award. He received $5,000 to work on his nonfiction-book-in-progress, “Juniper Moonscape.” Established to honor the memory of Ellen Meloy, the annual award provides support for creative nonfiction writers “whose work reflects the spirit and passions embodied in Ellen [Meloy]’s writing and her commitment to a ‘deep map of place’” to spend time in a desert environment. The next deadline is January 15, 2026.

Ellen Meloy Fund, Desert Writers Award, P.O. Box 288, Helena, MT 59624.
info@ellenmeloy.com ellenmeloy.com

Fiction Collective Two

Catherine Doctorow Innovative Fiction Prize

Karen An-hwei Lee of Wheaton, Illinois, won the 2025 Catherine Doctorow Innovative Fiction Prize for her novel Marimo, Mon Amour. She received $15,000, and her book will be published by Fiction Collective Two in fall 2026. K-Ming Chang judged. The annual award is given for a story collection, novella, novella collection, or novel by a writer who has published at least three books. (See Deadlines.)

Ronald Sukenick Innovative Fiction Contest

Radhika Singh of New York City won the 2025 Ronald Sukenick Innovative Fiction Contest for her novel Weirdly Tuned Antennae. She received $1,500, and her book will be published by Fiction Collective Two in fall 2026. Steven Dunn and Katie Jean Shinkle judged. The annual award is given for a story collection, novella, novella collection, or novel. (See Deadlines.)

Fiction Collective Two, University of Alabama Press, P.O. Box 870380, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487. (205) 348-5180.
fc2@fc2.org fc2.org/prizes

Fordham University at Lincoln Center

Poetic Justice Institute Prizes

T.S. Leonard of San Francisco won the 2024-2025 Poetic Justice Institute Prize for Another Anthem of Fabulous Survival. Diana Keren Lee of Longmont, Colorado, won the Poetic Justice Institute Editor’s Prize for How to Cast a Beautiful Animal. They each received $1,000, publication by Fordham University Press in fall 2026, a publicity consultation, and a virtual book launch through the Poetic Justice Event Series. Meg Day judged the Poetic Justice Institute Prize, and Elisabeth Frost judged the Poetic Justice Institute Editor’s Prize. The annual awards are given for poetry collections. (See Deadlines.)

Fordham University at Lincoln Center, Poetic Justice Institute Prizes, 113 West 60th Street, Room 924i, New York, NY 10023. (212) 636-7870. Elisabeth Frost, Series Editor.
efrost@fordham.edu poetic-justice.org

Foundation for Contemporary Arts

Grants to Artists

Five poets were awarded 2025 Grants to Artists. Khadijah Queen received the Cy Twombly Award for Poetry; Layli Long Soldier of Santa Fe received the C.D. Wright Award for Poetry; and George Albon of San Rafael, California, Raquel Gutiérrez of Tucson, and Mary Ruefle of Bennington, Vermont, won general Grants to Artists awards. Each grantee received $45,000. A panel of artists, arts professionals, and the foundation’s board of directors participated in the grant selection process. The grants and awards are given annually to poets and artists “who continually redefine experimentality and who challenge us to think deeply about the world.” There is no application process.

Foundation for Contemporary Arts, 820 Greenwich Street, #4, New York, NY 10014.
info@contemporary-arts.org foundationforcontemporaryarts.org/grants/grants-to-artists

Furious Flower Poetry Center

Poetry Prize

Martins Deep of Memphis won the 2025 Furious Flower Poetry Prize for “I Will Not Give Thanks,” “The Lands That Banish Us Are the Homes That Beckon Us Back,” and “The Stone Breakers of Jan Ruwa.” He received $1,500 and publication in Obsidian. He will also give a reading as part of the Furious Flower reading series at James Madison University in September. Aracelis Girmay judged. The annual award is given for a group of poems that contribute to Furious Flower Poetry Center’s mission of “ensuring the visibility, inclusion, and critical consideration of Black poets in American letters.” The next deadline is February 15, 2026.
Furious Flower Poetry Center, Poetry Prize, James Madison University, 500 Cardinal Drive, MSC 3802, Harrisonburg, VA 22807.
furiousflower@jmu.edu
jmu.edu/furiousflower/poetryprize

Futurepoem

Other Futures Award

Day Heisinger-Nixon of Berlin won the 2024 Other Futures Award for ROOM | ROOM | ROOM. They received $1,000, publication by Futurepoem, and 25 author copies. The editors judged. The annual award is given for a book of poetry or hybrid work “that imagines new lived or literary possibilities and questions established paradigms.” As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.

Futurepoem, Other Futures Award, 311 West 24th Street, 5A, New York, NY 10011. (646) 247-9860. Ahana Ganguly, Assistant Editor and Submissions Manager.
ahana@futurepoem.com futurepoem.com

Ghost Story

Supernatural Fiction Award

Maura Stanton of Bloomington, Indiana, won the Spring 2025 Supernatural Fiction Award for “School for Robots.” She received $1,500, and her story was published on the Ghost Story website. The editors judged. The award is given biannually for a short story with a supernatural or magical realist theme. (See Deadlines.)

Ghost Story, Supernatural Fiction Award, P.O. Box 601, Union, ME 04862. Paul Guernsey, Editor.
editor@theghoststory.com theghoststory.com/tgs-fiction-award

Hackney Literary Awards

Novel Contest

Chloe B. McAlpin of New York City won the 2024 Novel Contest for her manuscript “The Story of the Ploughman’s Wife.” She received $5,000. The annual award is given for an unpublished novel. (See Deadlines.)

Hackney Literary Awards, Novel Contest, 4650 Old Looney Mill Road, Birmingham, AL 35243. Myra Crawford, Executive Director.
hackneyliteraryawards@gmail.com hackneyliteraryawards.org/how-to-submit

Harvard University

Radcliffe Institute Fellowships

Poet Jen Bervin of Guilford, Connecticut, and New York City; fiction writers Fowzia Karimi of Denton, Texas, and Katy Simpson Smith of New Orleans; and nonfiction writers Mya Frazier of Columbus, Ohio, and Sam Huber of Delhi, New York, received 2025-2026 fellowships from the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. They each received $78,000 and an additional $5,000 to cover project expenses. The annual fellowships are given to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers with substantial publication histories or current contracts for the publication of a book. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.

Harvard University, Radcliffe Institute Fellowships, Byerly Hall, 8 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138. (617) 496-1324.
harvardradcliffefellowship@radcliffe.har... radcliffe.harvard.edu/radcliffe-fellowship

Hive Poetry Collective

Morton Marcus Memorial Poetry Prize

Elizabeth Jacobson of Santa Fe won the 2024 Morton Marcus Memorial Poetry Prize for “One Taste.” She received $1,000 and an invitation to read at the University of California in Santa Cruz. Brad Crenshaw judged. The annual award is given for a poem. (See Deadlines.)

Hive Poetry Collective, Morton Marcus Memorial Poetry Prize, 1325 Laurel Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. (831) 234-2989. Farnaz Fatemi, Treasurer.
sasqi@mac.com hivepoetry.org/morton-marcus-prize

John Pollard Foundation

International Poetry Prize

Gustav Parker Hibbett of Dublin won the 2025 John Pollard Foundation International Poetry Prize for High Jump as Icarus Story (Banshee Press). They received €10,000 (approximately $11,481). Una Mannion, Eoin McNamee, and Tom Walker judged. The annual award is given for a debut poetry collection published during the previous year. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.

John Pollard Foundation, International Poetry Prize, Trinity Oscar Wilde Centre, 21 Westland Row, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland. Sophia Ní Sheoin, Centre Senior Executive Officer.
wilde@tcd.ie tcd.ie/owc/john-pollard-prize

John Updike Society

John Updike Tucson Casitas Fellowship

Leslie Pietrzyk of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, won the 2025 John Updike Tucson Casitas Fellowship for her story-collection-in-progress, “Nothing to See Here.” She received $1,000 and a two-week residency at the Mission Hill Casitas that John Updike owned and worked out of in Tucson. The annual fellowship is given for a group of poems or a work of fiction or nonfiction. (See Deadlines.)

John Updike Society, John Updike Tucson Casitas Fellowship, c/o James Plath, English Department, Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, IL 61702. Robert M. Luscher, Competition Coordinator.
luscherr@unk.edu blogs.iwu.edu/johnupdikesociety/grants-scholarships-and-awards

Ledbury Poetry

Poetry Competition

Mark Fiddes of Barcelona, Dubai, and London won the 2024 Poetry Competition for “Stop. Go. Orange Blossom.” He received £1,000 (approximately $1,340), a course at the United Kingdom-based creative writing nonprofit Arvon, publication of his poem on the Ledbury Poetry Festival website, and an invitation to read at the festival in the summer. Maya C. Popa judged. The annual award is given for a single poem. As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.

Ledbury Poetry, Poetry Competition, Barrett Browning Institute, Homend, Ledbury, HR8 2AA, England. Sabeen Chaudhry, Producer. sabeen.chaudhry@ledburypoetry.org.uk poetry-festival.co.uk/ledbury-poetry-competition

Lightscatter Press

Poetry Prize

Willy Palomo of Chicago won the 2024 Lightscatter Press Poetry Prize for Mercury in Reggaetón. He will receive $1,000, multimodal publication by Lightscatter Press in spring 2026, and a digital edition of his book, which will include images, sound, and touchable features. He will also receive 25 author copies. Yesenia Montilla judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection written by an emerging writer. (See Deadlines.)

Lightscatter Press, Poetry Prize, 3303 West 7675 South, West Jordan, UT 84084. (801) 635-9825. Lisa Bickmore, Publisher. lightscatterpress@gmail.com lightscatterpress.org/submit

LitMag

Virginia Woolf Award for Short Fiction

James Christy Jr. of Princeton, New Jersey, won the 2025 Virginia Woolf Award for Short Fiction for “The Boy.” He received $2,500. His story will be published in LitMag and reviewed by agents Lisa Bankoff (Bankoff Collaborative), Jenny Bent (Bent Agency), Sonali Chanchani and Erin Harris (Folio Literary Management), Emily Forland (Brandt & Hochman), David Forrer (InkWell Management), Sarah Fuentes (United Talent Agency), Mollie Glick (Creative Artists Agency), Nat Sobel (Sobel Weber Associates), and Monika Woods (Triangle House). The annual award is given for a short story. The next deadline is December 31.

Emily Dickinson Award for Poetry

Olga Maslova of Urbana, Illinois, won the 2025 Emily Dickinson Award for Poetry for “The Soul Is Not Receiving Visitors.” She received $1,500. Her poem will be published in LitMag and reviewed by agents Amy Bishop-Wycisk (Trellis Literary Management), Kelsey Day (Aragi, Inc.), Haley Heidemann (William Morris Endeavor), PJ Mark (Janklow & Nesbit), Rayhané Sanders (Massie McQuilkin & Altman), and Emily Westcott (Creative Artists Agency). The annual award is given for a single poem. (See Deadlines.)

Anton Chekhov Award for Flash Fiction

Kathleen Crisci of New York City won the 2025 Anton Chekhov Award for Flash Fiction for “Lost.” She received $1,250. Her story will be published in LitMag and reviewed by agents Jenny Bent (Bent Agency), Sonali Chanchani and Erin Harris (Folio Literary Management), Emily Forland (Brandt & Hochman), David Forrer (InkWell Management), Sarah Fuentes (United Talent Agency), Mollie Glick (Creative Artists Agency), Nat Sobel (Sobel Weber Associates), and Monika Woods (Triangle House). The annual award is given for a work of flash fiction. The next deadline is November 30.

LitMag, Greeley Square Station, P.O. Box 20091, New York, NY 10001.
info@litmag.com litmag.com

Loft Literary Center

McKnight Fellowships for Writers

Fiction and creative nonfiction writers Jessica Roeder of Duluth and Tracy Ross of Mankato and hybrid-genre writers Kathryn Savage and Sun Yung Shin, both of Minneapolis, received the 2025 McKnight Fellowships for Writers. They each received $25,000. Valeria Luiselli judged. The annual fellowships, offered for prose and poetry/spoken word in alternating years, are given to Minnesota writers who have published at least one book, have had work appear in several journals, or have been booked to perform their work. (See Deadlines.)

Loft Literary Center, McKnight Fellowships for Writers, 1011 Washington Avenue South, Open Book Building, Suite 200, Minneapolis, MN 55415. (612) 215-2578.
partnerships@loft.org loft.org/awards/mcknight

Los Angeles Times

Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose

Emily Witt of New York City won the 2024 Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose for Health and Safety: A Breakdown (Pantheon). She received $10,000. Dinah Lenney, Adriana E. Ramírez, and Rick Whitaker judged. The annual award is given for a book of autobiographical prose published in the previous year. There is no application process.

Robert Kirsch Award

Pico Iyer of Big Sur, California, and Nara, Japan, won the 2024 Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement. Iyer, whose most recent memoir is Aflame: Learning From Silence (Riverhead Books, 2025), received $1,000. The annual award is given to recognize an author “with a substantial connection to the American West.” There is no application process.

Book Prizes

Remica Bingham-Risher of Norfolk, Virginia, won the 2024 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in poetry for her collection Room Swept Home (Wesleyan University Press). Jennine Capó Crucet of Greensboro, North Carolina, won the prize in fiction for her novel Say Hello to My Little Friend (Simon & Schuster). Jiaming Tang of New York City won the Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction for his novel, Cinema Love (Dutton). Kelly Link of Northampton, Massachusetts, won the Science Fiction/Fantasy Award for her novel The Book of Love (Random House). Jesse Katz of Los Angeles won the prize in current interest for his nonfiction book The Rent Collectors: Exploitation, Murder, and Redemption in Immigrant LA (Astra House). Bingham-Risher, Crucet, Tang, Link, and Katz each received $500. John W. Evans, Airea D. Matthews, and Courtney Faye Taylor judged in poetry; Natashia Deón, Scott O’Connor, and Amy Wallen judged in fiction and for the Art Seidenbaum Award; Maurice Broaddus, Craig Laurance Gidney, and Lucy A. Snyder judged the Science Fiction/Fantasy Award; and Andrew Aydin, Celeste Fremon, and Miriam Pawel judged in current interest. The annual awards are given for books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction published in the prize year. There is no application process.

Los Angeles Times, 2300 East Imperial Highway, El Segundo, CA 90245. Mattie Schaffer, Senior Events Manager.
mattie.schaffer@latimes.com events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks/bookprize

Meadowlark Press

Birdy Poetry Prize

Catherine Anderson of Kansas City, Missouri, won the 2025 Birdy Poetry Prize for Afloat. She received $1,000, publication by Meadowlark Press, and 50 author copies. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. The next deadline is December 1.

Meadowlark Press, Birdy Poetry Prize, P.O. Box 333, Emporia, KS 66801. (620) 794-9320.
info@meadowlark-books.com meadowlarkbookstore.com/birdy-poetry-prize

Michigan Quarterly Review

Jesmyn Ward Prize in Fiction

Noel Quiñones of Chicago won the fourth annual Jesmyn Ward Prize in Fiction for “This Time and the Next.” They received $2,000 and publication in the Summer 2025 issue of Michigan Quarterly Review. Ghassan Zeineddine judged. The annual award is given for a short story. The next deadline is December 31.

Lawrence Foundation Prize

Leye Adenle of London won the 47th annual Lawrence Foundation Prize for “The House of Oluawo,” which appeared in the Spring 2024 issue of Michigan Quarterly Review. He received $2,000. Aaron Burch 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

DeeSoul Carson of New York City won the 23rd annual Laurence Goldstein Poetry Prize for “Thermal Imaging.” He received $1,000 and publication in the Summer 2025 issue of Michigan Quarterly Review. Cyrus Cassells judged. The annual award is given for a single poem. The next deadline is December 31.

Michigan Quarterly Review, University of Michigan, 3277 Angell Hall, 435 S. State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. (734) 764-9265. Aram Mrjoian, Managing Editor.
mqr@umich.edu michiganquarterlyreview.com

Mississippi Review

Mississippi Review Prizes

Amanda Nicole Corbin of Columbus, Ohio, won the 2025 Mississippi Review Prize in poetry for “As Seed, So Too, Sleep.” Tracy Neiman of New York City won in fiction for “The Last Avocado on Earth.” Paige Schilt of Austin won in nonfiction for “Do Not Hasten to Bid Me Adieu.” They each received $1,000 and publication in Mississippi Review. Rachael Fowler judged. The annual awards are given for a single poem, a story, and an essay. The next deadline is January 1, 2026.

Mississippi Review, Mississippi Review Prizes, 118 College Drive, #5144, Hattiesburg, MS 39406. (601) 266-4321. Rachael Fowler, Editor.
msreview@usm.edu mississippi-review.com

New Literary Project

Joyce Carol Oates Prize

Jennine Capó Crucet of Greensboro, North Carolina, and Willy Vlautin of Scappoose, Oregon, both won the 2025 Joyce Carol Oates Prize. Capó Crucet, whose most recent novel is Say Hello to My Little Friend (Simon & Schuster, 2024), and Vlautin, whose most recent novel is The Horse (Harper, 2024), each received $50,000. The annual award is given to “midcareer fiction writers who...drive social change and unleash artistic power across the generations and the nation.” As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.

Jack Hazard Fellowships

Kristin Collier of Minneapolis, Dallas Crow of Atlanta, Will Ejzak of Chicago, Molly Olguín of Seattle, and Anjoli Roy of Honolulu received 2025 Jack Hazard Fellowships for Creative Writers Teaching High School. 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, 4100 Redwood Road, Suite 20A/424, Oakland, CA 94619. Ian S. Maloney, Program Director.
ian@newliteraryproject.org newliteraryproject.org/home

New York Public Library

Cullman Center Fellowships

Poet David Mills of New York City; fiction writers Vajra Chandrasekera of Colombo and Brad Fox, Katie Kitamura, and Raven Leilani, all of New York City; and creative nonfiction writers M. Leona Godin and Krithika Varagur, both of New York City, Jordan Kisner of Brunswick, Maine, and New York City, and Benjamin Moser of Utrecht, Netherlands, were among those who received 2025-2026 Cullman Center Fellowships. They will each receive up to $85,000, an office in the Cullman Center at the New York Public Library, and full access to the library’s physical and electronic resources from September 2025 to May 2026. The annual fellowships are given to poets, fiction writers, creative nonfiction writers, translators, and scholars whose work will benefit directly from access to the research collections at the New York Public Library. (See Deadlines.)

New York Public Library, Cullman Center Fellowships, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, 476 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10018.
cullmancenter@nypl.org nypl.org/csw

Ohio University Press

Hollis Summers Poetry Prize

Mamie Morgan of Edisto Island, South Carolina, won the 2025 Hollis Summers Poetry Prize for Midsummer Night’s Toast. She received $1,000, and her book will be published by Ohio University Press in spring 2026. Natalie Shapero judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. The next deadline is December 31.

Ohio University Press, Hollis Summers Poetry Prize, 30 Park Place, Alden Library, Suite 101, Athens, OH 45701. Sally Welch, Acquisitions and Permissions Administrator.
oupress@ohio.edu ohioswallow.com/poetry-prize

Passaic County Community College

Paterson Poetry Prize

Joan Kwon Glass of Milford, Connecticut, and Nancy Miller Gomez of Soquel, California, won the 2025 Paterson Poetry Prize. Glass won for Daughter of Three Gone Kingdoms (Perugia Press), and Gomez won for Inconsolable Objects (YesYes Books). They each received $1,000. The annual award is given for a poetry collection published in the previous year. The next deadline is February 1, 2026.

Passaic County Community College, Paterson Poetry Prize, Poetry Center, 1 College Boulevard, Paterson, NJ 07505. (973) 684-6555. Cynthia Pagan, Staff Assistant.
cpagan@pccc.edu poetrycenterpccc.com

Permafrost

Book Prize

Angela Jane Fountas of Pittsburgh won the 2024 Permafrost Book Prize for Another Kind of Symmetry. She received $1,000, and her novel will be published by University of Alaska Press in June 2026. Eowyn Ivey judged. The annual award is given in alternating years for a book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction. The 2024 prize was given in fiction. (See Deadlines.)

Permafrost, Book Prize, University of Alaska, English Department, P.O. Box 755720, Fairbanks, AK 99775. (907) 474-7193.
uaf-permafrostmag@alaska.edu permafrostmag.uaf.edu/contests

Ploughshares

Ashley Leigh Bourne Prize for Fiction

Ramona Ausubel of Louisville, Colorado, won the seventh annual Ashley Leigh Bourne Prize for Fiction for “Perfect Numbers,” which appeared in the Summer 2024 issue of Ploughshares. She received $2,500. The editors judged. The annual award is given for a short story published in Ploughshares 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

Press 53

Award for Short Fiction

Daniel S.C. Sutter of Stanford, California, won the 2025 Press 53 Award for Short Fiction for Like Always Blooming. He will receive $1,000, publication of his book by Press 53 in May 2026, and 53 author copies. Claire V. Foxx judged. The annual award is given for a story collection. The next deadline is December 31.

Press 53, Award for Short Fiction, 560 North Trade Street, Suite 103, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. (336) 770-5353. Kevin Morgan Watson, Publisher and Editor in Chief.
kevin@press53.com press53.com/award-for-short-fiction

Principal Foundation

Short Fiction Contest

Genevieve Abravanel of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, won the 2024 Short Fiction Contest for “These Dark Woods.” She received $1,000, and her story was published on the Short Édition website and in Principal Foundation’s Short Story Dispensers (located in six cities across the United States). The judging panel included David Drury, Zakiya Dalila Harris, Casey Parks, Joe Wilkins, and Cecily Wong. (See Deadlines.)

Principal Foundation, Short Fiction Contest, 711 High Street, Des Moines, IA 50392. (412) 508-2086. Wanda Bautista, Group Vice President.
principal@ruderfinn.com short-edition.com/en/contest/principal-foundation/rules

Pulitzer Prizes

Prizes in Books

Marie Howe of New York City won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize in poetry for her New and Selected Poems (Norton). The finalists were Jennifer Chang of Austin for An Authentic Life (Copper Canyon Press) and Danez Smith of Minneapolis–St. Paul for Bluff (Graywolf Press); Joy Harjo, Deborah Paredez, Carl Phillips, Brenda Shaughnessy, and Brian Turner judged. Percival Everett of Los Angeles won the prize in fiction for James (Doubleday). The finalists were Rita Bullwinkel of San Francisco for Headshot (Viking), Gayl Jones of Lexington, Kentucky, for The Unicorn Woman (Beacon Press), and Stacey Levine of Seattle for Mice 1961 (Verse Chorus Press); Merve Emre, Laila Lalami, Jonathan Lethem, Ayana Mathis, and Bryan Washington judged. Benjamin Nathans of Philadelphia won the prize in general nonfiction for To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet Dissident Movement (Princeton University Press). The finalists were Rachel Nolan of Boston for Until I Find You: Disappeared Children and Coercive Adoptions in Guatemala (Harvard University Press) and Rollo Romig of New York City for I Am on the Hit List: A Journalist’s Murder and the Rise of Autocracy in India (Penguin Books); Sonali Deraniyagala, James Forman Jr., David Frum, Sarah Schulman, and Mark Whitaker judged. Kathleen DuVal of Durham, North Carolina, and Edda L. Fields-Black of Pittsburgh won the prize in history for Native Nations: A Millennium in North America (Random House) and Combee: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom During the Civil War (Oxford University Press), respectively. Seth Rockman of Providence was the finalist for Plantation Goods: A Material History of American Slavery (University of Chicago Press); Daina Ramey Berry, Julio Capó Jr., Jefferson Cowie, Julian Lim, and Sarah Pearsall judged. Jason Roberts of San Francisco won the prize in biography for Every Living Thing: The Great and Deadly Race to Know All Life (Random House). The finalists were David Greenberg of New York City for John Lewis: A Life (Simon & Schuster) and Amy Reading of Ithaca, New York, for The World She Edited: Katharine S. White at the New Yorker (Mariner Books); Beverly Gage, Peniel E. Joseph, Carla Kaplan, Jeffrey C. Stewart, and Richard Tofel judged. Tessa Hulls of Juneau, Alaska, won the prize in memoir or autobiography for Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir (MCD). The finalists were Alexandra Fuller of Kelly, Wyoming, for Fi: A Memoir of My Son (Grove Press) and Lucy Sante of Kingston, New York, for I Heard Her Call My Name: A Memoir of Transition (Penguin Press); Lorene Cary, Maggie Nelson, Cheryl Strayed, Laura Trujillo, and Jacqueline Woodson judged. The winners each received $15,000. The annual awards honor works of poetry, fiction, general nonfiction, U.S. history, biography, and memoir or autobiography by U.S. writers published in the United States during the previous year. (See Deadlines.)

Pulitzer Prizes, Prizes in Books, Columbia University, 709 Pulitzer Hall, 2950 Broadway, New York, NY 10027. (212) 854-3841.
pulitzer@pulitzer.org pulitzer.org

Red Hen Press

Benjamin Saltman Poetry Award

Jane Won’t of Arcata, California, won the 2024 Benjamin Saltman Poetry Award for mock, vent, careening: bird poems. She received $3,000, and her book will be published by Red Hen Press in spring 2027. Jason Schneiderman judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. (See Deadlines.)

Red Hen Press, Benjamin Saltman Poetry Award, P.O. Box 40820, Pasadena, CA 91114. (626) 406-1203. Annalisa Zox-Weaver, Editorial Associate.
editorial@redhen.org redhen.org

Robinson Jeffers Tor House Foundation

Poetry Prize

Alison Turner of Hollywood, California, won the 2025 Robinson Jeffers Tor House Poetry Prize for “No Berries on the Toyon, No Drunk Robins.” She received $1,000. Alicia Ostriker judged. The award is given annually for a poem. The next deadline is March 14, 2026.

Robinson Jeffers Tor House Foundation, Poetry Prize, P.O. Box 223240, Carmel, CA 93922. (831) 624-1813. Elliot Ruchowitz-Roberts, Coordinator.
thf@torhouse.org torhouse.org

Schaffner Press

Nicholas Schaffner Award for Music in Literature

Boman Desai of Chicago won the tenth annual Nicholas Schaffner Award for Music in Literature for his novel, Brahms Comes to Dinner. He received $1,000, and his book will be published by Schaffner Press in summer 2026. The annual award is given for a poetry collection, novel, story collection, essay collection, or memoir that “deals in some way with the subject of music and its influence.” The next deadline is January 30, 2026.

Schaffner Press, Nicholas Schaffner Award for Music in Literature, P.O. Box 41567, Tucson, AZ 85717. Sean Murphy, Editor.
sean@schaffnerpress.com schaffnerawards.com

Story

Story Foundation Prize

Grace Chao of San Francisco won the sixth annual Story Foundation Prize for “Family Travel.” She received $1,500 and publication in the Summer 2025 issue of Story. Kristen Arnett judged. The annual award is given for a short story. The next deadline is December 15.

Story, Story Foundation Prize, 312 E. Kelso Road, Columbus, OH 43202. (314) 614-8759. Michael Nye, Editor in Chief.
mpnye@storymagazine.org storymagazine.org

Travelers’ Tales

Solas Awards

Katrina Woznicki of Los Angeles won the 2025 Solas Awards Grand Prize for “It Can Be Beautiful for Everyone.” She received $1,000 and publication on the Travelers’ Tales website. Scott Dominic Carpenter judged. The annual award is given for a travel essay. (See Deadlines.)

Travelers’ Tales, Solas Awards, 2320 Bowdoin Street, Palo Alto, CA 94306. 
info@besttravelwriting.combesttravelwriting.com

Trustees of the Robert Frost Farm

Frost Farm Prize for Metrical Poetry

Christopher Childers of Los Angeles won the 15th annual Frost Farm Prize for Metrical Poetry for “Lalage.” He received $1,000; an invitation and a $400 honorarium to read at the Robert Frost Farm in Derry, New Hampshire; and a full scholarship to attend the Frost Farm Conference in August. Maryann Corbett judged. The annual award is given for a single poem written in a metrical form. The next deadline is March 31, 2026.

Trustees of the Robert Frost Farm, Frost Farm Prize for Metrical Poetry, c/o Robert Crawford, 280 Candia Road, Chester, NH 03036.
hylabrookpoets@gmail.com frostfarmpoetry.org/prize

University of Georgia Press

Georgia Poetry Prize

Michael Joseph Walsh of Philadelphia won the 2024 Georgia Poetry Prize for A Season. He received $1,000, and his book will be published by University of Georgia Press in March 2026. Andrew Zawacki judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. The next deadline is November 30.

University of Georgia Press, Georgia Poetry Prize, Main Library, Third Floor, 320 South Jackson Street, Athens, GA 30602.
submissions@uga.edu ugapress.org/series/georgia-poetry-prize

University of North Texas Press

Vassar Miller Prize

Ash Bowen of Wake Village, Texas, won the 2025 Vassar Miller Prize for Other Edens. He received $1,000, and his book will be published by University of North Texas Press in April 2026. John Poch judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. (See Deadlines.)

University of North Texas Press, Vassar Miller Prize, 1155 Union Circle #311336, Denton, TX 76203. (940) 565-2142. Joseph Alderman, Marketing Manager.
joseph.alderman@unt.edu untpress.unt.edu/authors/vassar-miller-submissions

University of Utah Press

Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry

Dan Murphy of Boston won the 2024 Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry for Estate Sale. He received $1,000, publication of his book by University of Utah Press, and $500 in travel and lodging expenses to give a reading at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Ange Mlinko judged. The annual award is given for a poetry collection. The next deadline is April 15, 2026.

University of Utah Press, Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry, J. Willard Marriott Library, 295 South 1500 East, Suite 5400, Salt Lake City, UT 84112. Hannah K. New, Marketing Manager.
hannah.new@utah.edu uofupress.com/agha-shahid-ali-prize-in-poetry

Verse/Factory Hollow Press

Tomaž Šalamun Prize

Andrew Seguin of New York City won the 2025 Tomaž Šalamun Prize for Animals of Speech. He received $1,000, and his chapbook will be published by Factory Hollow Press in spring 2026. He will also receive 10 author copies and a monthlong residency at the Tomaž Šalamun Centre for Poetry in Ljubljana. Additionally, his chapbook will be translated into Slovenian and published by the Republic of Slovenia Public Fund for Cultural Activities. Graham Foust judged. The annual award is given for a poetry chapbook. The next deadline is March 15, 2026.

Verse/Factory Hollow Press, Tomaž Šalamun Prize, University of Richmond, English Department, Humanities Building 318, 106 UR Drive, Richmond, VA 23173. (804) 287-6431. Brian Henry, Editor.
salamunprize@gmail.comfactoryhollowpress.com/tomaz-salamun-prize

WB Yeats Society of NY

Yeats Poetry Prize

Elly Katz of New York City won the 2025 Yeats Poetry Prize for “Looming Light.” She received $1,000, publication on the WB Yeats Society of NY website, a two-year membership to the organization, and an invitation to an awards ceremony in New York City in April. January Gill O’Neil judged. The annual award is given for a single poem. The next deadline is February 1, 2026.

WB Yeats Society of NY, Yeats Poetry Prize, National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South, New York, NY 10003. Andrew McGowan, President.
andrewjjmcgowan@gmail.com yeatssociety.nyc

Yale University Press

Yale Series Of Younger Poets Competition

Isabel Neal of Bridgton, Maine, won the 2025 Yale Series of Younger Poets Competition for Thrown Voice. Her book will be published by Yale University Press in April 2026. Rae Armantrout judged. The annual award is given for a debut poetry collection. (See Deadlines.)

Yale University Press, Yale Series of Younger Poets Competition, P.O. Box 209040, New Haven, CT 06520.
ysyp@yale.eduyalebooks.yale.edu/yale-series-of-younger-poets-rules

Zócalo Public Square

Book Prize

Jean-Martin Bauer of Rome won the 15th annual Zócalo Public Square Book Prize for The New Breadline: Hunger and Hope in the Twenty-First Century (Knopf). He received $10,000 and an invitation to speak at Zócalo Public Square’s Book Prize event in Los Angeles last May. The annual award is given for a book of nonfiction published in the United States in the previous year that “best enhances our understanding of community and the forces that strengthen or undermine human connectedness and social cohesion.” As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.

Poetry Prize

Jennifer Blackledge of Detroit won the 14th annual Zócalo Public Square Poetry Prize for “Mt. Trashmore.” She received $1,000, and a recorded recitation of her poem was played at Zócalo Public Square’s Poetry Prize event in Los Angeles last May. The annual award is given for a single poem that “best evokes a connection to place.” As of this writing, the next deadline has not been set.

Zócalo Public Square, 1111 South Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90015.
support@zocalopublicsquare.orgzocalopublicsquare.org