Press Release September 23, 2009 announcing the First Annual Winners of the Norman Mailer High School and College Writing Awards.
Program applications for 2009 are closed. Applicants will be notified of results by September 25.
The Norman Mailer Writers Colony and the National Council of Teachers of English will jointly sponsor the Norman Mailer High School and College Writing Awards.
The inaugural awards will be presented on October 20, 2009 (the National Day on Writing) by the National Council of Teachers of English and the Norman Mailer Writers Colony at the Colony’s National Awards Gala in New York City.
The 2009 awards will be for creative nonfiction and include cash awards for the high school and college winner. The college winner also receives a scholarship to the Norman Mailer Writers Colony during the summer of 2010. National recognition will be extended to writers whose work earns top scores in early evaluation rounds.
Call for Participation
Writing Category: Creative Nonfiction
Norman Mailer produced extraordinary works in many genres, including the category of this year’s award: creative nonfiction. Students may submit work in any of the many subgenres of creative nonfiction: memoir or autobiography, essay, literary journalism, profiles of people or places, and so on. Whatever its type, the best work will be true material presented with compelling literary merit.
High School Award
Cash Award of $5,000
The High School Award is now closed. Thank you for your interest.
College Awards
Cash Award of $10,000
The College Award is now closed. Thank you for your interest.
Both high school and college award recipients will be honored guests during the Colony’s National Awards Gala in New York City on the National Day on Writing.
Submission Guidelines
Students may submit one or more pieces of writing for a total of up to 10 single-spaced pages for high school writers, 15 for college, though quality is far more important than quantity.
Formatting Guidelines
The writing you upload must include a title, your name, and page numbers within your file. Use a plain, common, and easily readable font, such as Times New Roman; 11 or 12-point only, please. Accepted file types: .pdf, .doc, .docx, and .txt (maximum file size 8 megabytes).
The High School Competition is open to students who will be seniors in fall 2009. Each student’s entry must be no more than 10 single-spaced pages and will need to be endorsed by a teacher and released by a parent or guardian. Submissions will be accepted online only between March 23 and May 10, 2009.
The College Competition is open to current seniors and students who will be seniors, juniors, or sophomores in fall 2009. Entries must be no more than 15 single-spaced pages. Submissions will be accepted online only between March 23 and May 15, 2009.
How to Apply
Please click on the links below for an online application form.
High School Award - Now closed
College Award - Now closed
Judging
Submissions will be read by national panels of teachers and writers of creative nonfiction. They will be judged by how well they achieve several qualities, including the artful treatment of true subject matter; originality; quality of insight, voice, and style; artful arrangement of elements and materials; and overall aesthetic, emotional, or intellectual effect. Finalists selected through this process will be submitted to a distinguished author (or panel of authors) selected by the Norman Mailer Writers Colony, who will choose the winning writers.
Contact Information
Email your questions to nmw@ncte.org.
Resources
Norman Mailer Writers Colony
Norman Mailer High School and College Writing Awards Brochure