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Creative Writing Awards

All Western Illinois University undergraduates, regardless of major, are invited to submit creative writing for the following awards. Several cash prizes and honorable mentions will be awarded.

Printable submission requirements (pdf)

Cordell Larner Awards in Fiction and Poetry

Fiction writers and poets alike are invited to submit stories and poems for the Cordell Larner Awards. Submit up to 15 poems and/or one short story to the contest. The literary merit of each entry will be weighed heavily. Most important are matters of voice and style.

Lois C. Bruner Literary Nonfiction Award

Submit one personal essay of any length to the Lois C. Bruner Literary Nonfiction contest. Essays should be about life experiences—though these may fit into any of the following categories—travel, memoir, biography, autobiography, nature writing, or cultural critique. The writing should strive for literary qualities; voice and style will be weighed heavily.

Submission guidelines for Spring 2011

• Submissions should be presented to the Department of English and Journalism in 124 Simpkins Hall no later than 4:00 pm on Friday, March 25, 2011.
• Entries must be typed, double-spaced.
• Please write or type your local address, phone number, and e-mail address on the back of the first page of your entry for the judging will be anonymous.
• Please also write or type the exact name of the contest you are entering on the first page of your entry.
• Paperclip or staple your entries; no additional binding, folders, or envelopes are required. Save a copy of your work; entries will not be returned.
• Writers may submit entries in all three categories—Lois C. Bruner (literary nonfiction) and Cordell Larner (both fiction and poetry).
• There will be an awards ceremony held on April 26, 2011 at 6pm in the Writing Center, Simpkins 341. Winning authors will be notified prior to this ceremony. All entrants are invited to participate in this celebration; refreshments will be served.

Scholarships & Awards