The 2021 Newton-Blanchard Prize
There are presently no open calls for submissions.
Call for undergraduate submissions for The Newton-Blanchard Fiction Prize and the Newton-Blanchard Non-Fiction Prize
Established in 2014, the Newton-Blanchard Endowment seeks to recognize excellent writing from undergraduate authors. To quote from the Endowment, “These awards of $2,500 each are intended to be made to student writers from across the disciplinary spectrum who have curiosity, imagination, humor, and a facility for clearly communicating their thoughts, discoveries, and passions. The awards are limited to prose, specifically to original short fiction and original non-fiction.”
To be eligible for the Fiction Prize, a submission must be a full-length, original short story (max. 15 double-spaced pages). Excerpts from novels or other, longer pieces of fiction, as well as illustrated manuscripts or works in translation, will not be considered.
To be eligible for the Non-Fiction Prize, a submission must be an original article or essay (max. 15 double-spaced pages). It should be vivid and dramatic; combine a strong and compelling narrative with an informative or reflective element; and reach beyond a solely personal experience for some deeper meaning. Essays should not be reviews or opinion pieces but tell true stories and be factually accurate.
To be eligible for either Prize, the applicant must have been enrolled in good standing at William and Mary during the 2020-21 academic year.
The deadline for submission is Monday, April 12, 2021.
Please send submissions in both categories to:
https://newtonblanchardprize.submittable.com/submit
Submissions are open until Monday, April 12 at 11:59 pm. At midnight sharp, the contest will close. No late entries can be considered. You may submit one entry in each category. Submitting two entries in a category will disqualify both.
IMPORTANT: Please remove your name from the story or essay itself entirely. (Don't worry, the Submittable system will keep track of who submitted each piece.) All entries will be judged anonymously by an interdisciplinary committee of Arts & Sciences faculty.
Members of the Newton-Blanchard Prize Committee for 2020-21 are:
Prof. Brian Castleberry (English)
Prof. Jon Pineda (English, Committee Chair)
Prof. Francesca Sawaya (English/American Studies)
Prof. Janice Zeman (Psychological Sciences, Dean of Undergraduate Studies)
Steve Otto (Director of Communications for Arts & Sciences)