Every year, hundreds of imprisoned writers from around the country submit poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and dramatic works to PEN America’s Prison Writing Contest, one of the few outlets of free expression for the country’s incarcerated population. Manuscripts come to the Prison Writing Program in a variety of forms: Some are handwritten, some are typed, some are written in the margins of legal documents. Prizes of $250, $150, $100, $50, and $25 are awarded for first, second, third place, the Dawson Prize, and honorable mentions, respectively, in each of the following categories. 

We are thrilled to share that the newly named PEN America/Edward Bunker Prize in Fiction has been made possible by the legacy of Edward Bunker and the gift of his family.

Read these pieces in book form by purchasing As I Hear the Rain, our 2019 Prison Writing Awards Anthology. 

 

POETRY

First Place

Jevon Jackson, “All of Us, In Prison“

Second Place

Davi Gray, “Time Reversal Invariance“

Third Place

Caroline Ashby, “Ravenous“

 

Honorable Mentions

Peter Dunne, “Self-Portrait as State Property“

Edward Ji, “My Co-Worker“

Douglas Weed, “As I Hear the Rain“

 

EDWARD BUNKER PRIZE FICTION

First Place

Kevin R. Schaeffer, “First World Problems”

Second Place

Sam Jenkins, “The Last Time I Saw Chet”

Third Place

Davi Gray, “Geode”

 

Honorable Mentions

James Philip Beavers, “Tetris”

Brendan Rao, “Two Birds, One Stone”

Antonio Bowie-Rivera, “Rogers Park: Area 52”

 

ESSAY

First Place

Michael Kaiser, “Thorazine, Haldol & Coffee: My Life in a Prison Mental Health Ward“

Second Place

Richard Sean Gross, “Death by Incarceration: Cruel and Unusual“

Third Place

Santonio D. Murff, “Mass Incarceration: The Shame of a Nation“

 

MEMOIR

First Place

William Myrl Smitherman,”Where the Wild Things Are“

Second Place

Michael Johnson, “The Week“

Third Place

Raylan Gilford, “Round One“

 

Nonfiction Honorable Mentions

Christiana Justice, “Under the Bridge“

Kyle Hedquist, “Confessions of a Penitentiary Death Dealer“

Michael Willie, “Murderers’ Ball”

Daniel Pirkel, “Parole Reform“

Kevin Sawyer, “Triple Sessions“

Daniel Whitlow, “Lexie’s Books“

 

DRAMA

First Place

Derek Trumbo, “The Thaw“

Second Place

Ashley Starling Thomas, “Time“

Third Place

Larry Stromberg, “I’m Here for You“

 

Honorable Mentions

Benjamin Frandsen, “Tiny General“

Mike Phillips, “Outcasts“

John Benjamin, “Never 2 Late“

 

FIELDING A. DAWSON

Fielding A. Dawson Prize in Poetry

Vaughn Walker, “Young Girl Twenty“

Fielding A. Dawson Prize in Fiction

David Webb, “Fireside: or Immaterial Burns”

Fielding A. Dawson Prize in Nonfiction

Heather C. Jarvis, “Poker Face“

Fielding A. Dawson Prize in Drama

Chris Dankovich, “King of Infinite Space“

 

The Prison Writing Contest Prizes are sponsored by the generous support of the Greenburger Center for Social & Criminal Justice.

We are thrilled to share that the newly named PEN America/Edward Bunker Prize in Fiction has been made possible by the legacy of Edward Bunker and the gift of his family.