Sarah Addison Allen to Judge Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize
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ASHEVILLE—The 2018 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize is now open for submissions.
Awarded to a short story of 3,000 words or less, The Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize honors internationally celebrated North Carolina novelist Thomas Wolfe. The winner receives $1,000 and possible publication in The Thomas Wolfe Review. The postmark deadline is January 30, 2018.
To submit, click here.
This year's final judge is Sarah Addison Allen, the New York Times bestselling author of Garden Spells (2007); The Sugar Queen (2008); The Girl Who Chased the Moon (2010); The Peach Keeper (2011); and Lost Lake (2014). Her new novel First Frost is now on sale. She was born and raised in Asheville.
The 2018 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize is administered by the Great Smokies Writing Program at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. The program offers opportunities for writers of all levels to join a supportive learning community in which their skills and talents can be explored, practiced, and forged under the careful eye of professional writers. The program is committed to providing the community with affordable university-level classes led by published writers and experienced teachers. Each course carries academic credit awarded through UNC-Asheville.
The 2017 winner was Virginia Ewing Hudson, of Raleigh, for her short story "Mother." Her "atmospheric, haunting story" was chosen by 2017 final judge Wiley Cash for its "portrait of childhood grief and the ways in which children wade through it."
The Thomas Wolfe Review is the official journal of The Thomas Wolfe Society, publishing articles, features, tributes, and reviews about Wolfe and his circle. It also features bibliographical material, notes, news, and announcements of interest to Society members.
North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame inductee Thomas Wolfe (1900-1938), was born in Asheville. His Look Homeward, Angel is considered one of the most important coming-of-age novels in the English language. Wolfe was considered at the time of his death to be the greatest talent North Carolina had given to American literature. His novels and collected short stories go beyond autobiography, trying to, in William Faulkner’s words, “put all the experience of the human heart on the head of a pin.” His intense poetic language and thoughtfully developed symbology, combined with his uncanny ability to enter the minds of his other characters and give them powerful voices, elevate the books from memoir to undeniable literary art.
Here are the complete guidelines:
- The competition is open to all writers regardless of geographical location or prior publication.
- Submit two copies (if submitting by mail) of an unpublished fiction manuscript - short story or self-contained novel excerpt - not to exceed 3,000 words, double-spaced, single-sided pages (1" margins, 12-pt. Times New Roman font).
- Author's name should not appear on manuscripts. Instead, include a separate cover sheet with name, address, phone number, e-mail address, word count, and manuscript title. (If submitting online, do not include a cover sheet with your document; Submittable will collect and record your name and contact information.)
- An entry fee must accompany the manuscript: $15 for NCWN members, $25 for nonmembers.
- The entry fee is per submission. You may submit multiple entries.
- You may pay the member entry fee if you join the NCWN with your submission. Checks should be made payable to the North Carolina Writers’ Network.
- Entries will not be returned.
- The winner is announced each April.
- Simultaneous submissions ok, but please notify us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.
- To submit online, go to https://ncwriters.submittable.com/submit. Submittable will collect your entry fee via credit card ($15 NCWN members / $25 non-members). (If submitting online, do not include a cover sheet with your document; Submittable will collect and record your name and contact information.)
- To submit by regular mail:
Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize
Great Smokies Writing Program
Attn: Nancy Williams
One University Hts.
UNC Asheville, NC 28804
Questions? Please contact Nancy Williams at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828-250-2353.
The nonprofit North Carolina Writers’ Network is the state’s oldest and largest literary arts services organization devoted to writers at all stages of development. For additional information, visit www.ncwriters.org.
Register Now: Micropoetry, the Ritual of Chiseling Words!
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DURHAM—In this current media environment, we are bombarded with snippets and soundbites. It's easy to forget why Henry David Thoreau once said, "Not that the story need be long, but it will take a long while to make it short." It takes time and effort to write short, especially for poets, whose medium is already defined by the somewhat narrow constraints of the form.
On Wednesday, December 13, at 7:00 pm, Durham poet and editor of Backbone Press Crystal Simone Smith will lead the online class "Micropoetry, the Ritual of Chiseling Words!"
Registration is closed.
This course is capped at forty (40) registrants, first-come, first-served. There is a $25 fee to register.
Less is more is so cliché, but who can deny the genesis of tiny poems? They can embody a narrative or sear a stunning image into our minds. Using very few words one must craft a worthwhile poem that is, at once, complex and poignant. In this course, we will discuss aspects of the micropoet’s practice and the concept of “outside” inspiration mirrored by the idea that poetry is “A Dialogue of Self and Soul”—W.B. Yeats. Rather haiku or free verse, accomplishing the task of a tiny poem is challenging. We’ll take a look at some techniques that make up this exciting genre.
Crystal Simone Smith is the author of two poetry chapbooks, Routes Home (Finishing Line Press, 2013) and Running Music (Longleaf Press, 2014). She is also the author of Wildflowers: Haiku, Senryu, and Haibun (2016). Her work has appeared in numerous journals including: Callaloo, Nimrod, Barrow Street, Obsidian II: Literature in the African Diaspora, African American Review, and Mobius: The Journal of Social Change. She is an alumna of the Callaloo Creative Writing Workshop and the Yale Summer Writers Conference. She holds an MFA from Queens University of Charlotte and lives in Durham with her husband and two sons where she teaches English Composition and Creative Writing. She is the Managing Editor of Backbone Press.
"Micropoetry, the Ritual of Chiseling Words!" is the North Carolina Writers' Network's first offering in their 2017-2018 Winter Series of online classes.
"This new program initiative is a great way for writers from all over North Carolina to connect without having the hassle of driving somewhere and finding parking," said NCWN communications director Charles Fiore. "These online classes offer top-shelf instruction for a fraction of the cost, and the software itself is very intuitive and easy to use."
The online class "Micropoetry, the Ritual of Chiseling Words!" is available to anyone with an internet connection, or who even owns just a telephone. Instructions for accessing the online class on Wednesday, December 13, will be sent to registrants no less than twenty-four hours prior to the start of class.
Registration is closed.
The nonprofit North Carolina Writers’ Network is the state’s oldest and largest literary arts services organization devoted to writers at all stages of development. For additional information, visit www.ncwriters.org.