The North Carolina A&T State University Creative Writing Program is sponsoring its first J. California Cooper and John Edgar Wideman Short Fiction Prize. The competition seeks to honor the literary legacy of these two American writers.
Cooper and Wideman have authored numerous collections of short fiction and novels among their accomplishments. The award winning writers have been celebrated for their rich depictions of African American families via their ability to translate the breadth of the Black American experience into poignant tales of urban and rural life. Through their creative vision, Cooper and Wideman fuse history, myth, fiction and autobiography to create a symphony of black voices, from the vernacular to the highly educated.
The competition is open to writers without regard to geographical region or previous publication background.
Fictional short story entries (any style) of no more than 7,000 words per short story – only one story per submission – will be accepted. Entries must be written in English and include the following per entry: four typed (12-point font), double spaced, stapled copies of an unpublished manuscript (author’s name must not appear on the manuscript); one cover sheet with name, address, telephone, email, word count and title of story; and $15 entry fee (check or money order made payable to NCAT/CWP-Fiction Prize) per submission. Writers may submit more than one entry; however, each entry must be accompanied by a separate $15 entry fee. Entrants may enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope for acknowledgement of receipt of manuscript (optional).
Mail submission(s) to Dr. Anjail Ahmad, Creative Writing Program-Short Fiction Prize, A427 GCB, North Carolina A&T State University, 1601 E. Market St., Greensboro, NC 27411. All entries must be mailed and postmarked by Monday, Oct. 31, and the winners will be announced Thursday, Dec. 1.
The grand prize winner will receive $250. The winning entry and honorable mentions will be published on the university’s website.
A committee of poets and writers will judge the competition. Committee members reserve the right to withhold the prize should entries not meet their standards.
For more information, contact Ahmad at (336) 334-7771, ext. 2370, or arahmad@ncat.edu.
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