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Creative Writing Program

Creative Writing Prizes

Creative Writing Program and Center for the Literary Arts Prizes

Through private and university sponsorships, the Program in Creative Writing is able to award a number of yearly writing prizes. All awards are judged in open competition by outside writers of national reputation.

  • The Academy of American Poets Prize, $100
  • The McKinney Short Fiction Award, $750
  • The Mahan Poetry Prizes, $200, $100
  • The Mahan Fiction Prizes, $200, $100
  • The Creative Writing Nonfiction Prize, $200, $100
  • The Sibyl Pommer Freshmen Poetry Prize, $200
  • The Margaret Leong Children's Poetry Prize, $350, 250, $175

Contest guidelines (in pdf)

Other Contests

The Francis W. Kerr Writing Prize recognizes excellence in undergraduate writing in the genres of drama, fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry. Nominations for this award are made by instructors of the undergraduate courses in each genre.

The English Department also offers The Mahan Freshman Essay Prizes ($200 and $100). Guidelines for the essay contest can be obtained from 107B Tate Hall.

2009 Prize Recipients

Mahan Fiction Prize

First: Joseph Aguilar, "Chicken Suit"
Second: Eric Austin Thomas, "The Book of Tobin"

McKinney Fiction Prize

Matt Bell, "Where You Know Gerry the Most"
Lania Knight, "Mother's Museum"

Honorable Mentions:
Joanna Luloff, "And Now Home Again"
Patrick Lane, "Aporia"

CWP Award in Creative Nonfiction

First: Wm. Anthony Connolly, "Confusion of Saints"
Second: Robert Foreman, "James and the Giant Indescretion"

Mahan Poetry Prize
(for the group of poems)

First: Sarah Barber
Second: Katy Didden

Margaret Leong Children's Poetry Prize

First Place: Marc McKee, for “Bomb Shelter”
Second Place: Julia Gordon-Bramer, for “Moon”
Third Place: Katy Didden, for “Stella the Star Watcher”

Academy of American Poets Prize

First Place: Jessica Garratt, for “Fascicle”

Honorable Mentions: Katy Didden, for “Peace Tower” and Stefanie Wortman, for “In the Permanent Collection”

Sibyl Pommer Freshmen Poetry Award

Katy Prince, for the group of poems beginning with "Breezeway"

Francis W. Kerr Writing Prize

Fiction:

First Place: Karen Draper, for “The Bramble Thicket”
Second Place: Derek Wade, for “Sweet Tooth Booth”
Third Place: Brittany Simmons, for “23”
Hon. Mention: Daniel Spencer Mathis, for “Sam’s Super Power”

Poetry:

First Place: Stephanie Mudweiller, for “Vice”
Second Place: Kathryn Dillard, for “Ash Wednesday”

Creative Nonfiction:

First Place: Gianna Volpe, for “The Vicious Book of Lies”
Second Place: Andrew Stuart, for “Grow Not Instant Old”
Third Place: Jonathan Schmalfeld, for “Ago Pro Iam”
Hon. Mention: Emily Wunderlich, for “Without Notice”