Walter Nathan Prize for Undergraduate Creative Writers!

Apply now for $1000 awards in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction
Logo for the Walter Nathan Literary Initiatives, featuring a sketch of two black and white books above the maroon and black text

The English Department is excited to announce the 2024 Walter Nathan Prize for Undergraduate Creative Writers. This prize will be awarded to three undergraduate students minoring in creative writing whose work shows exceptional literary promise. One prize of $1000 will be awarded in poetry, one in fiction, and one in creative nonfiction. Prizes will be processed through the winners’ student accounts. The deadline is March 29, 2024.

Eligibility

Full-time students with a declared minor in creative writing, including seniors graduating in Spring 2024. Students pursuing the bachelor of individualized studies, with an emphasis in creative writing, are also eligible.

Recipients of English major scholarships are eligible to win the Walter Nathan Prize for Undergraduate Creative Writers.

Apply

To be considered for this scholarship, complete the Walter Nathan Prize for Undergraduate Creative Writers scholarship application and submit one writing sample. Your application will be judged only on the quality of your writing sample, so it should be your best creative work.

For poetry, the maximum writing sample length is one poem. For prose (fiction or creative nonfiction), the maximum length is 15 double-spaced pages. You may only submit to one genre. Submit your file as a .docx or .pdf. Name your file in this manner: Last Name_First Name_Title of Work. Do not include your full name or any other identifying information on any page of your writing sample.

Applications for the 2024 Walter Nathan Prize for Undergraduate Creative Writers will be accepted until March 29, 2024.

Prize recipients will be notified of their awards by late April, and prizes will be processed through the recipients’ student accounts. Winners will be required to write a thank-you note to the donors of the Walter Nathan Literary Initiatives. 

Contact Amalia Tenuta at tenut010@umn.edu if you have questions about any aspect of the application process, your eligibility, or the writing sample this prize requires.

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