The annual York University President’s Creative Writing Awards, the Lorna Marsden Prize for Creative Writing in French, the Daniel Whittaker-Van Dusen Prize for Emerging Poets and the Richard Teleky Short Fiction Prize are accepting unpublished and original writing submissions.

The President’s Creative Writing Awards are looking for submissions in four categories: poetry, short fiction, screenplay and stage play. Submissions for the Lorna Marsden Prize for Creative Writing in French are accepted in any of the above creative genres, as long as the work is written in French.

Any undergraduate submissions to the President’s Awards in poetry will automatically also be considered for the Whittaker-Van Dusen Prize. Any undergraduate submissions to the President’s Awards in short fiction will automatically also be considered for the Teleky Prize.

There is no minimum or maximum length requirement in each category, but submissions must fall within the above genres. The awards are not open to novels or opera librettos, for example. Contestants may enter a writing piece in each category but may not submit more than one entry in each category.

The President’s Awards and the Lorna Marsden Prize are open to all full- and part-time York University undergraduate students only. The Daniel Whittaker-Van Dusen and Richard Teleky prizes are open to both undergraduate and graduate students.

The winning entry for the Lorna Marsden Prize, and in each genre for the President’s Awards, will receive $1,000. The Whittaker-Van Dusen Prize carries an award of $1,500 and the Teleky Prize winner will receive $2,000. No prize will be awarded if the judges feel entries are of insufficient merit. The decision of the judges is final.

The competition results will be announced in the spring, and prizes will be awarded at the annual Creative Writing Awards reception. Names will be published in YFile and on the Department of English and Creative Writing program websites.

The deadline for online submissions is Jan. 5, 2024. For additional information, submission requirements, contest rules and how to apply, click here.

Further questions can be directed to Michelle Anacleto, Creative Writing program assistant, by email at michana@yorku.ca.

Originally published in YFile.