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2009-2010 Creative Writing Program Awards

The Creative Writing Program offers many annual prizes with significant cash awards to undergraduate and graduate students. Please follow the guidelines for each award carefully. Application packets should be submitted in a manila envelope with the prize name clearly written on the outside to the box in the Writing Center, CLAS 159 or in the English Department's main office, CLAS 208, (the submission box is located next to the copy machine). Entries may also be mailed to:

Please Note:

• All works submitted for the Wallace Stevens Prize, Collins Prizes, Hackman Awards, Aetna Creative Nonfiction Awards, and Long River Graduate Awards will also be considered for publication in the 2010 issue of the Long River Review, UConn’s nationally award-winning literary magazine. If you do NOT wish your entry to be considered for publication, please specify so on your cover sheet.
• The same works may be submitted to different contests. But, the genre of the piece cannot be relabeled. Work entered as "Fiction" in one contest may NOT be entered elsewhere as "Nonfiction". Please determine the genre of your work and indicate it on your envelope.
• While your name must not appear anywhere but on the cover sheet, you MUST put the full title and genre of your piece in a header or footer on every page.

• • AWP Intro Journals Project
  • November 1, 2009
  • The Intro Journals Project is a national literary competition for the discovery and publication of the best new works by students currently enrolled in the programs of the Associated Writing Programs (AWP). Winners receive a $50 cash honorarium and are published in Hayden 's Ferry Review, Mid-American Review, Puerto del Sol , Controlled Burn, Quarterly West, Tampa Review, Willow Springs, or Artful Dodge. As a member program, the University of Connecticut is eligible to nominate one work of fiction, one work of short fiction, and three poems.

  • Who's Eligible

    Both graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Connecticut main and regional campuses.

  • Guidelines

    Works submitted should be unpublished. Students may submit up to one essay, one work of fiction, and three poems. Please submit four copies of each piece. For each submission, you must also include two cover pages: the first should include the title of the work, author’s name, permanent address, phone number, and name of school; the second should include the title of the work only. Author’s name should not appear on any of the works themselves. Prose should be double-spaced, poetry single-spaced.
  • • Raab Associates Prize for Creative Writing for Children
    • November 2, 2009
    • Prize: $500 and 1 year of membership in the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. The winner's entry will also be showcased at the Connecticut Children's Book Fair and the winner will be invited to a dinner held at the Dodd Center in conjunction with the Book Fair.

    • Who's Eligible

      Both graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Connecticut main and regional campuses.

    • Guidelines

      This is the inaugural year for the prize and we invite submissions of picture book texts (no illustrations, please). Submit four copies of the text of a picture book (cleanly typed, single-sided). The submission should not exceed 750 words. Please attach a cover sheet listing your name, title of the picture book, campus address, campus phone, student ID number, e-mail address, student status (graduate or undergraduate), and semester standing. Your student ID number should appear on every page of the packet, but your name should not appear on the work itself. Also see Is It A Picture Book.

    Judging

    Will be conducted by faculty from the School of Liberal Arts, the Dodd Center, Susan Raab, and experts in the field of children's books. Ms. Raab is a UConn alumna and her company, Raab Associates, also sponsors the Raab Prize for Illustration, which has been awarded annually at the Connecticut Children's Book Fair since 1999.

    • • Wallace Stevens Poetry Prize
      • December 1, 2009
      • Prizes: $1,000 (first); $500 (second); $250 (third)
      • Each year since 1964, a prominent poet has been invited to give a reading at the University of Connecticut as part of the Wallace Stevens Poetry Program. A student poetry contest is held in conjunction with that program. First, second and third place cash prizes are awarded. Prize winners read from their work at the annual program, and winning poems will be published in the Long River Review.

      • Who's Eligible

        Undergraduate and graduate students from the University’s main and regional campuses, except previous first place winners.

      • Guidelines

        Submit four copies of a 5-8 page packet of poems (cleanly typed, one-side only, only one poem per page). This can be up to 8 short poems, or several longer pieces. Each packet should be collated and stapled separately. To each packet attach a cover sheet listing your name, titles of poems submitted, campus address, campus phone, student ID number, e-mail address, student status (graduate or undergraduate), and semester standing. Your student ID number should appear on every page of the packet, but your name should not appear on the work itself.
    • • Collins Literary Prizes
      • December 1, 2009
      • Prizes: Varies Annually. The 2008–2009 awards were over $4,000 each.
      • Awarded in memory of Edward R. and Frances S. Collins for the best undergraduate literary works. Two cash prizes are awarded, one in prose and one in poetry. Prize-winning works will be published in the Long River Review.

      • Who's Eligible

        Undergraduate students at the University of Connecticut main and regional campuses.

      • Guidelines

        Submit four copies of your work, cleanly typed, one side only. Collate and staple each set separately. For each set, provide a cover sheet listing name, campus address, campus phone, e-mail address, student ID number and semester standing. You MUST indicate the genre of your work (poetry, fiction, or nonfiction), along with its title, on the cover sheet. Students may submit work in more than one genre but please do so in separate sets (in other words, do not include a short story and a poem in the same set.) Put your student ID number on each page of your entry, as well as the title and genre of your piece, but do not put your name on any pages but the cover.
    • • Jennie Hackman Memorial Award for Short Fiction
      • December 1, 2009
      • Prizes: $1,000 (first); $300 (second); $200 (third)
      • Awarded in memory of Jacob and Jennie Hackman for the best works of undergraduate short fiction. Up to three cash prizes awarded. Winning stories will be published in the Long River Review.

      • Who's Eligible

        Undergraduate students at the University of Connecticut main and regional campuses.

      • Guidelines

        Submit four copies of your work, cleanly typed, double-spaced, one side only. Collate and staple each set separately. For each set, provide a cover sheet listing name, campus address, campus phone, e-mail address, student ID number and semester standing. Put your student ID number on each page of the submission, but put your name only on the cover sheets.
    • • AETNA Creative Nonfiction Awards
      • December 1, 2009
      • Prizes: Graduate $200-500; Undergraduate: $200-500.
      • One prize each for the best graduate and undergraduate works of creative nonfiction will be awarded. Winners will receive a cash prize and will read from their work at an evening program featuring a notable guest author. Undergraduate first place winner’s work will also be published in the Long River Review.

      • Who's Eligible

        Graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Connecticut main and regional campuses.

      • Guidelines

        Students may submit one unpublished creative nonfiction work. Submit four copies of your essay, cleanly typed, double-spaced, one-side only. Each copy should including a cover sheet listing your name, work’s title, your address, phone, student ID number, e-mail address and semester standing. Please indicate whether you are a graduate or undergraduate student. Your student ID number should appear on every page of the packet, but your name should not appear on the work itself.
    • • Long River Graduate Writing Award
      • December 1, 2009
      • Prizes: $250.
      • One cash prize awarded for the best piece of creative work in any genre written by a graduate student. The winning piece will be published in the Long River Review.

      • Who’s Eligible

        Graduate students from any University of Connecticut department or campus.

      • Guidelines

        Graduate students may submit prose pieces of up to 2,500 words, or for poetry, 1-3 poems. Submit four copies of each work, cleanly typed, one side only. Collate and staple each set separately. For each set, provide a cover sheet listing your name, the work’s title, your campus address, campus phone, e-mail address, student ID number, and semester standing. Put your student ID number on each page of the submission, but put your name only on the cover sheets.
    • • AETNA Graduate Creative Works in Progress Grant
      • December 1, 2009
      • Grant amount: $1,000.
      • Thanks to the support of the Aetna endowment, the Creative Writing Program is able to offer a grant to provide financial assistance to a graduate student with a worthy creative work in progress. The grant recipient will be selected competitively based on a formal proposal and a portfolio of creative writing. One grant of $1000 will be available. The grant may be used to allow the writer time off from work to develop a project, to assist the writer in traveling for research related to the work in progress, or to support the writer’s participation in a workshop that will focus on the work in progress.

      • Who’s Eligible

        Graduate students in any department at the University of Connecticut main and regional campuses.

      • Guidelines

        Recipients must use their grant in the twelve months following the award. Application packets should include: 1.) Four copies of a sample of the work in progress. Submit up to 10 pages of poetry, 20-25 pages of fiction, 20-25 pages of creative nonfiction, or 20-25 pages of a script. Do not exceed these page limits, please. Each copy of the submission must include a cover sheet stating applicant’s name, project title, applicant’s year of study, contact information including e-mail, and student ID number. 2.) Four copies of a 2-3-page proposal detailing the project and explaining specifically how the grant will assist in bringing the project closer to completion.
    • • Edwin Way Teale Essay Award
      • December 1, 2009
      • Prizes: Graduate and Undergraduate, $100 each.
      • The Teale Award is intended to reward essayists who explore the relationships of human beings to the natural world. Up to two graduate and two undergraduate cash prizes will be awarded to winning essays. Winning writers will read at a public ceremony.

      • Who’s Eligible

        Undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Connecticut’s main and regional campuses.

      • Guidelines

        Students may submit one unpublished essay of up to 2,500 words. Submit four copies of your work, cleanly typed, one side only. Collate and staple each set separately. For each set, provide a cover sheet listing name, campus address, campus phone, e-mail address, student ID number and semester standing. Put your student ID number on each page of the submission, but put your name only on the cover sheets.
    • • Gloriana Gill Awards For Drawing and Cartooning, and for Photography
      • February 2, 2010
      • Prizes: Varies annually. Last year each prize was $1,000.
      • Two awards given in memory of artist Gloriana Gill for 1) the best work of drawing or cartooning, and 2) the best work of photography (with preference given to B &W) appearing in the Long River Review. Entrants may submit multiple pieces to each prize.

      • Who's Eligible

        Undergraduates and graduates at the University of Connecticut’s main and regional campuses.

      • Guidlines

        See below.
    • • Long River Review Art Award
      • February 2, 2010
      • Prizes: $100 - $200.
      • A cash prize for the best piece of artwork to appear in the Long River Review. Entrants may submit multiple pieces.

      • Who's Eligible

        Undergraduates and graduates at the University of Connecticut’s main and regional campuses.

      • Guidlines

        See below.
    • • Guidelines for all art awards:
      • Files must be submitted on CD to the box in the Freshman English Office, CLAS 162, by February 2. Submit Art work based on the following specifications:
        1. Minimum dimensions: 5.75 inches in width - height proportional to width. All submissions should be accompanied with a hardcopy.
        2. Please note:Design Center staff will scan hardcopy images up to 8.5" x 14". Otherwise your submission should follow the above mentioned criteria.
      • Note: All entries must include a cover sheet with the following information: title of work, medium, your name, local address, local phone, email, student ID number, and short description of piece. Pieces will probably be printed in black and white. If color is an important element to your piece and you do not want it to be printed in grayscale then you must specify so.