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
Honorable Mentions
Peter Dunne, “Self-Portrait as State Property“
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
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
Third Place
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
Second Place
Ashley Starling Thomas, “Time“
Third Place
Larry Stromberg, “I’m Here for You“
Honorable Mentions
Benjamin Frandsen, “Tiny General“
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.