The Boston College English Department administers the awarding of several important University Prizes each spring. Some of these prizes require students to submit writing (in various genres) in order to be considered. Other prizes go to the best creative writing published during an academic year in a campus publication. Still others require nomination by a faculty member. There is a prize for freshman writing; a prize for the best essay or piece of literary journalism on American Literature and Culture; as well as several creative writing prizes; and a prize for Outstanding Senior English Major.
The deadline for 2009-10 prize submissions is the last day of March 2010, no later than 4 p.m. Professor Elizabeth Graver is Chair of the 2009-10 Prize Committees. Submissions may be left in the appropriate bins on his office door (Carney 466) or given to the department secretary. For brief descriptions of the prizes, please see below. Cover sheets and more detailed descriptions of the prizes that require submission by either students or faculty can be found by navigating to the appropriate links.
Prizes Requiring Submission:
1) The Dever Fellowship—a substantial cash grant, presented annually, in honor of novelist and BC alumnus Joseph Dever, to a graduating senior who proposes to pursue a career in writing. Applicants, who must have published at least one work in a BC publication or in an external one, may nominate themselves or be nominated by a faculty member. For further details and application materials, visit the Dever Fellowship link.
2)The Dever Prize for Freshman Writing—a cash award for the best essay (at least 5 double-spaced pages) written by a freshman for any English course. The essay should be submitted by a member of the English faculty with an application form signed by the faculty member. For a cover sheet and further details, visit the Dever Prize for Freshman Writing link.
3)The McCarthy Prize—a cash award, open to juniors and seniors, given annually for the best collection of pieces of creative writing (fiction or poetry or both, or creative nonfiction, totaling no more than 12 double-spaced pages). Both published and unpublished work may be submitted. Fragments of longer works are acceptable, but please note them as such. Applicants may nominate themselves. For a cover sheet and further details, visit the McCarthy Prize link.
4) The Randall Award—a gift of books presented in honor and memory of author and BC professor John Randall to the undergraduate writer of the best essay in the field of American literature and culture. This may include literary journalism, as well as scholarly essays. Open to all students. Either the student or a faculty member may submit the essay. For a further details and a cover sheet, visit the Randall Award link.
Prizes Requiring Publication in BC Undergraduate Publications
(No Application Required):
1) The Cushing Award—cash award given annually to undergraduates who produce the best work in fiction published in BC undergraduate publications (Stylus, Laughing Medusa, Naked Singularlity, or other new BC publications).
2) The Kelleher Award— cash award given annually to undergraduates who produce the best work in poetry published in BC undergraduate publications (Stylus, Laughing Medusa, Naked Singularlity, or other new BC publications).
Prize by Internal Nomination (no application process):
1) The Kean Award—a cash award to the graduating senior judged by the Kean Award Committee to be the outstanding English major.
If you have questions about any of the prizes, please contact Professor Elizabeth Graver, Chair of the 2009-10 Prizes and Awards Committee, at graver@bc.edu, or 617-552-4154.
