Submission-Based Honors Awards
The Margaret C. Annan Memorial Prize
Deadline: April 15, 5:00 pm Eligibility: Third-year students in the College
Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction Prize: $1000 each
Established in Ms. Annan's memory by her students, the prize supports three summer writing projects—one each in the genres of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction—and is awarded to third-years / rising fourth-years in recognition of excellence in creative writing and in support of a summer writing project.
Guidelines: Submit a portfolio of approximately 10 double-spaced pages and indicate the genre in your submission. Entry is limited to one genre per student. Email your submissions to ddooley@uchicago.edu. If applying for more than one prize, submit each entry in a separate email. The subject line should contain the name of the prize you are applying for. Within the body of your email, please include: your full name, the name of the prize you are applying for, the title of your entry, your year in the College (i.e., third- or fourth-year), your major, and your University of Chicago email address. Attach an anonymized PDF of your writing sample with the author’s name omitted from all pages.
The David Blair McLaughlin Prizes
Deadline: April 15, 5:00 pm Eligibility: Fourth-year students in the College
First Prize: $300; Second Prize: $150
Awarded for essays written by students in the graduating class who demonstrate special skill and sense of form in the writing of English prose.
Guidelines: Essays should not exceed 25 pages (double-spaced). Entry limited to one essay per student. Email your submissions to ddooley@uchicago.edu. If applying for more than one prize, submit each entry in a separate email. The subject line should contain the name of the prize you are applying for. Within the body of your email, please include: your full name, the name of the prize you are applying for, the title of your entry, your year in the college (i.e., third- or fourth-year), your major, and your University of Chicago email address. Attach an anonymized PDF of your writing sample with the author’s name omitted from all pages.
The Olga and Paul Menn Foundation Prizes
Deadline: April 15, 5:00 pm Eligibility: Fourth-year students in the College
First Prize: $1000; Second Prize: $500
Awarded for original short stories or novel extracts written by students in the graduating class.
Guidelines: Novel extracts should include an explanatory preface and should not exceed 25 pages (double-spaced). Entry limited to one short story or novel extract per student. Email your submissions to ddooley@uchicago.edu. If applying for more than one prize, submit each entry in a separate email. The subject line should contain the name of the prize you are applying for. Within the body of your email, please include: your full name, the name of the prize you are applying for, the title of your entry, your year in the college (i.e., third- or fourth-year), your major, and your University of Chicago email address. Attach an anonymized PDF of your writing sample with the author’s name omitted from all pages.
The John Billings Fiske Poetry Prize
Deadline: April 15, 5:00 pm Eligibility: Fourth-year students in the College
Prize: $500
Awarded for the best original poem or cycle of poems by a student in the graduating class.
Guidelines: Entry limited to a group of six poems, or one poem cycle, per student. Email your submissions to ddooley@uchicago.edu. If applying for more than one prize, submit each entry in a separate email. The subject line should contain the name of the prize you are applying for. Within the body of your email, please include: your full name, the name of the prize you are applying for, the title of your entry, your year in the college (i.e., third- or fourth-year), your major, and your University of Chicago email address. Attach an anonymized PDF of your writing sample with the author’s name omitted from all pages.
Nomination-Based Honors Awards
Les River Fellowship for Young Novelists
Deadline: No application. Candidates will be nominated by faculty each Spring.
Eligibility: College fourth-year students and/or College students in the graduating class
The Les River Fellowship for Young Novelists was established by Dorothy River in 2016 in honor and memory of her husband, W. Leslie River, Ph.B.’25. One Les River Fellowship of $5,000 will be awarded annually to a writer of fiction completing a BA project in Creative Writing, to support the development of a work of fiction towards publication. The expectation is that the Fellowship will enable uninterrupted work or travel for research purposes during the summer after graduation.
Elsie Filippi Memorial Prize in Poetry
Deadline: No application. Candidates will be nominated by faculty each Spring.
Eligibility: College fourth-year students and/or College students in the graduating class
Presented to a student in the graduating class in the College who shows distinction in poetic composition.
FAQs
Can I submit something that has already been published elsewhere?
Yes! You may even choose to specify in your application where the piece has already appeared.
The prose piece I am submitting is under the page limit. Should I submit another piece?
You may submit more than one piece to comprise your portfolio, but we recommend that you only do so if you see both pieces cohering in some way or complementing each other to represent your work. If you have one great piece, you should feel free to submit it alone—even if it is under the page limit.
When will I hear back about my submission?
For prizes with an April 15 deadline, winners will be notified in May. For prizes with event-related deadlines, winners will be notified in advance of the event.
I’m not a Creative Writing major or minor. Can I still apply?
Yes! You will want to pay close attention to the eligibility requirements, but students with other majors and minors are welcome to apply.