Annual Writing Competition: Department of English

Annual Writing Competition

The English Department holds a competition each year for prizes in writing. The prizes are cash awards ranging from $50 to $500. We encourage students from every department and school within Northwestern to compete according to the guidelines below. The submission deadline is 11:59 p.m., Thursday, May 8

Any original work is eligible, whether or not it has been written for a class. All comments by teachers on course papers should be removed. A fully legible scan of the entry copy is acceptable as long as it is in pdf format; handwritten work is not acceptable. Please note the following:

Except in special categories noted below, any original work is eligible, whether or not it was written for a class.
Students may submit only one work in each of the following categories: poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction essay, critical essay, ENG 300 paper. Submit the work in the appropriate category below.
The suggested length for critical essays is 5-20 pages; the maximum length for fiction and creative nonfiction is 20 pages; the maximum length for a poetry manuscript is 10 pages or 3 poems.
Students do not need to submit work for a specific prize; we will consider it for all appropriate prizes.

Work will be judged anonymously.

Within the Literature Awards, there are prizes to be awarded for best research paper, best critical essay on literature before 1830, best critical essay in American literature, best essay in the psychological or psychoanalytic interpretation of a literary text, and best essay in literary criticism and theory. Students do not need to submit work for a specific prize; the selection committee will consider submissions for all appropriate prizes.

Creative Writing Awards Eligibility

The EDWIN L. SHUMAN AWARD for CREATIVE NONFICTION ESSAY

ESSAY Any WCAS undergraduate

The EDWIN L. SHUMAN AWARD for FICTION

FICTION Any WCAS undergraduate

The DENTLER AWARD for BEST POEM is offered for one outstanding POEM

POETRY Any University Undergraduate

The FARICY AWARD for POETRY may be divided among two or more students

POETRY Any University Undergraduate

The ENGLISH DEPARTMENT PRIZE for FICTION

FICTION Any University graduate or undergraduate

The ENGLISH DEPARTMENT PRIZE for CREATIVE NONFICTION ESSAY

Any University graduate or undergraduate

THE HELEN G. SCOTT PRIZES for CREATIVE WRITING specific categories will vary

CREATIVE WRITING Any University undergraduate

Literature Awards Eligibility

The EDWIN L. SHUMAN AWARD for CRITICAL ESSAY

ESSAY Any WCAS undergraduate

The MAYO PRIZE is awarded for the best paper submitted each year in English 298

298 PAPER 298 students

The HARRIET GILLIAM MEMORIAL PRIZE for the best essay dealing with the psychological or psychoanalytic interpretation of a literary text.