Writing Prize Competition 2025 Results

Academy of American Poets Prize: Best single poem.

1st Plae: Lili Alimohammadi as Samantha Jones

2nd Place : Natalie Eisenman as No Pen 

Judge: S. Yarberry

S. Yarberry is a trans poet and writer. Their poetry has appeared, or is forthcoming, in AGNI, Guernica, Tin House, Indiana Review, jubilat, The Boiler, miscellaneous zines, among others. They currently run the little magazine Tyger Quarterly. S. has their MFA in Poetry from Washington University in St. Louis and is now a PhD candidate in literature at Northwestern University where they study William Blake. 

English Composition Prize: Outstanding Essays written for an ENGL1000, 1001, 1002, 1012 or 2089 class. 

1st Place: Christ-Ivann Degni as Les Moore 

Tie for 2nd Place:  Milo Anderson as Sierra Solaris and Winston Abedi as Bostea Inwind 

Judges: Beverly Brannan, Jennifer Glaser, and Ron Hundemer

 

Hopton Short Story Prize: Best short story of 12 pages or less.

1st Place: Isabella Gordo as Sarah Potter

Honorable mention: Evan Trimbur as Isom McAlan

Judges: Chris Bachelder, Mike Hennessey, Jennifer Glaser, 

 

Jean Chimsky Poetry Prize: Outstanding group of three to five poems.

Winner: Lili Alimohammadi as Samantha Jones

Honorable Mention:  Khara Rosebrook as Sue Sasha

Judges: Lisa Ampleman, Julia Carlson

 

Literary Nonfiction Prize: Best submission of 10 pages or less. 

Winner: Niki Acosta as Alice Browning

Tie for Honorable Mention: Shane Johnson as C. Jacobs, Lili Alimohammadi as Samantha Jones

Judges:  Michael Griffith, Laura Micciche, Gary Vaughn

 

Playwriting Prize: Best drama or play.

Winner: Ibn Whitfield as Alejandro Edwards

Judges: Chris Bachelder, Mike Hennessey

 

Professional Writing Prize: Excellence in professional writing.

1st Place: Phoebe Gaffney as Waverly Darcy

2nd Place: Madison Kim as Granny Smith

3rd Place: Paige Hedger as Payton Hicks

Judges: Teresa Cook, Mariah Kemp, Katie Powell, Chenxing Xie

 

Robinson Essay Prize: Outstanding essay.

1st Place: Khara Rosebrook as Sue Sasha

2nd Place: Maggie Sheridan as Melanie Mallahan

Tie for 3rd Place: Lili Alimohammadi as Samantha Jones, McKenna Riley as Lydia Price

Judges: Christopher Carter, Cheli Reutter, Leah Rubinsky 

 

Screenplay Prize: Best short screenplay of 10 pages or less. 

1st Place: Ainsley Smith as Lucas Holden

Judges: Chris Bachelder, Mike Hennessey

 

Shakespeare Prize:  Best essay written on Shakespeare.

1st Place: Jennifer Dirr as Jean Willow

2nd Place:  Nehalem Chudnoff as Ari Marks

Judges: Beverly Brannan,  Joanna Huh, Mary Leech

 

Staples Capstone Prize:  Best capstone project in any English capstone course this academic year.

Winner: Abby Taggart as Miss Fortune

Judges: Lisa Beckelhimer, Mike Hennessey, Cheli Reutter 

 

Academy of American Poets Prize: Best single poem.

Winner: TBD

Honorable Mention: TBD

Judge:

 

Hatfield/Westheimer Short Story Prize: Best short story of 10 pages or less.

First Prize: TBD

Second Prize: TBD

Third Prize:  TBD

Judge:

 

Jean Chimsky Poetry Prize: Outstanding group of three to five poems.

Winner: Paige Webb as Perry Winkle 

Judge: Lindsay Turner 

A poet, critic, and translator, Lindsay Turner is the author of the poetry collections The Upstate (University of Chicago Press, 2023) and Songs & Ballads (Prelude Books, 2018). Her translations from the French include books by Souleymane Bachir Diagne, Anne Dufourmantelle, Stéphane Bouquet, Frédéric Neyrat, Richard Rechtman, Ryoko Sekiguchi, and others. Her translation of Bouquet's The Next Loves was longlisted for the National Translation Awards, shortlisted for the Best Translated Book Award, and named a New York Times top 10 poetry collection of 2019, and she has twice received French Voices Grants for her translation work. Originally from northeast Tennessee, she lives in Cleveland, Ohio, where she is Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing at Case Western Reserve University.

 

Literary Nonfiction Prize: Best submission of 10 pages or less. 

1st Place: Daniel Hunt as Artemis Fresh

2nd Place: Kira Homsher as Mika Dooley

Honorable Mention: David LeGault as Jon Barrymore

Judges: Michael Griffith, Laura Micciche, Gary Vaughn

 

Playwriting Prize: Best play.
No award given this year

 

Professional Writing Prize: Excellence in professional writing.

No award given this year. 

 

Robin Sheets Critical Essay Prize: Best critical essay. 

1st Place: Erin Noehre as Micheala Jo

Tie for 2nd Place: Joseph Ozias as Hugh Mantorch, Daniel Galef as Seymour Krelboined

3rd Place: Daniel Hunt as Artemis Fresh

Honorable Mention: Kate Jayroe as Pine E. Needle

Judges: Christopher Carter, Cheli Reutter, Leah Rubinsky 

 

Shakespeare Prize:  Best essay written on Shakespeare.

1st Place: Sam Simas as Gravy Boat

2nd Place: Daniel Hunt as Artemis Fresh

Judges: Beverly Brannan, Joanna Huh, Mary Leech