Information for:
2013 fellowships:
- Thesis Fellowship
- Completion Fellowship
- Heritage Fellowship
2013 creative writing contests:
Mark Craver Poetry Award | $500
Mary Roberts Rinehart Award | poetry, fiction, and nonfiction | $500
Virginia Downs Poetry Award | $200
Joseph A. Lohman III Poetry Award| $200
Shelley A. Marshall Fiction Award | $200
Dan Rudy Fiction Award | $200
Contest notes:
With the exception of the Mark Craver Poetry Award (which is open to George Mason MFA poetry students only), all contests listed are open to any currently enrolled George Mason University student, graduate or undergraduate.
Contest judges are selected and announced ahead of the submission deadline each year. Judges are selected and invited to participate each year by the creative writing director.
2013 Contest Application Deadline: Tuesday, February 12, 2013.
The judges for the 2013 Contests are:
Poetry:
Mark Cravery Poetry Award: RT Smith - Editor of the literary magazine Shenandoah, he is the author of many poetry collections including Trespasser, The Cardinal Heart, and, most recently, Outlaw Style: Poems. He teaches at Washington and Lee University.
Mary Roberts Rinehart Poetry Award: Bob Hicok - Professor of Creative Writing at Virginia Tech, his works include The Legend of Light, Animal Soul, and Words for Empty and Words for Full.
Virginia Downs Poetry Award: David Wojahn - Teaches poetry at Virginia Commonwealth University and at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. His books include Icehouse Lights, and Interrogations Palace: New and Selected Poems 1982-2004.
Joseph A Lohman III Poetry Award: Deborah Nystrom - Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Virginia, her works include Bad River Road and Torn Sky, and her poetry has been featured in the Best American Poetry Series.
Fiction:
Dan Rudy Fiction Award: Sarah Breger - The managing editor of Moment Magazine, she has also written numerous articles for various publications.
Shelley A Marshall Fiction Award: Tim Horvath - Teaches at the BFA and low-residency MFA programs at the New Hampshire Institute of Art and at Grub Street in Boston. He is the author of the novella Circulation, and the collection of short works Understories.
Mary Roberts Rinehart Fiction Award: David Madden - lives in Black Mountain, NC where he is deep into eight different books. Among his novels are THE SUICIDE'S WIFE, SHARPSHOOTER, and ABDUCTED BY CIRCUMSTANCE. His third book of stories, THE LAST BIZARRE TALE, will appear late fall. His 12the novel, just published, is LONDON BRIDGE IN PLAGUE AND FIRE. His website is davidmadden.net.
Nonfiction:
Mary Roberts Rinehart Nonfiction Award: Justine Kenin is a producer for NPR's "All Things Considered."
Contest Submission Guidelines:
1. Mason's creative writing contests are open to all currently enrolled Mason students. As stated above, the one exception to this rule is the Mark Craver Poetry Contest which is open to Mason MFA poetry students only.
2. Students are limited to one submission per contest and must submit different work for each contest.
3. A poem or story cannot be selected as winner of more than one contest. Previously sumbitted winning entries can NOT be re-submitted again.
4. Students must submit one paper copy and one electronic copy of each submission in the PDF format. Instructions on how to save a document as PDF:
Electronic copies in other formats will not be accepted. Each entry should be submitted behind an electronic cover sheet.
5. No identifying information other than the entry's title should appear on the entry itself. All other identifying information need only appear on the cover sheet attached to the entry.
6. Paper copy entries should be submitted to the English department. ALL paper copies MUST be submitted with a signed paper cover sheet - all other entries will be disqualified.
Collection bins are located on top of the English Department faculty mailboxes in Robinson A487. Each bin is labeled with one or more contest names. Sumbissions may also be dropped off in Diane Swaine's mailbox, located on the left-hand side of faculty mailboxes in the row next to Bill Miller's office. Diane's mailbox is 5th from the top. Students may opt to drop off a submission in a bin or mail their submission to: Contest Name, MSN 3E4, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030 with a postmark date no later than the posted deadline.
7. Electronic submissions should be sent as email attachments to Diane Swain. A separate attachment is required for each entry. Again, entries should be free from identifying information other than the title of the poem/story/essay. Students' emails should contain a clear list of contest submissions (title, file name) and the contest to which each entry is being submitted. Electronic submissions must be received by the posted deadline.
8. Faxed submissions are not accepted.
9. The purpose of these awards is to reward previously-unrecognized work. Therefore, submissions must be previously unpublished. Submissions will be considered as "published" if they have been accepted for or have appeared in any publication, including student magazines at this or other institutions. Work under submission will not be considered to be "published," and is eligible for these awards.
10. Students should not contact the English department for results. Results are posted on this page and on the gradaute student listserv.
11. Award winners are contacted by email shortly before results are posted. Decisions are generally made in early April.
Please contact Diane Swain with contest questions and submissions. Thank you.