Gertrude Claytor Poetry Prize of the Academy of American Poets
Given to a graduate or undergraduate student for the best poem or group of poems.
2017- Judged by Rose McLarney
- Brooke McKinney MFA ’18- winner
- Heather Loudermilk ’17- runner-up
2016- Judged by Ansel Elkins
- Shelley Whitaker ’16- winner
- Mike Good MFA ’16- runner-up
2015- Judged by David Roderick
- William Repass MFA ’16 – winner
- Amanda Williams MFA ’16 – winner
2013- Judged by Andrea Hollander
- Michael Loruss MFA ’13 – winner
- Eve Strillacci MFA ’13 – winner
2012- Judged by Stacey Brown
- Matthew Bishop MFA ’12 – winner
- Brandon Courtney MFA ’12 – winner
- Elisabeth Aroneau MFA ’13 – honorable mention
2011- Judged by Tim Seibles
- S.H. Lohmann MFA ’12 – winner
- Jess Quinlan MFA ’11 – runner-up
- Matthew Bishop MFA ’12 – honorable mention
- Lauren Smith MFA ’12 – honorable mention
Andrew James Purdy Prize for Short Fiction
In memory of Andrew James Purdy, a member of the Hollins English faculty from 1968 to 1977, this award is given to a graduate student in the creative writing program who has written a body of fiction of outstanding quality.
2017- Judged by Mark Powell
- Julie Upshur MFA ’17- winner
- Ellie Paolini MFA ’17- runner-up
2016- Judged by Matthew Vollmer
- Whitney Watson MFA ’16- winner
- Taylor Kobran MFA ’16- runner-up
2015- Judged by Mariflo Stephens
- Elisabeth Booze MFA ’16 – winner
- Ellen Ray MFA ’16 – runner-up
2014- Judged by Elizabeth Denton
- Colin Lee MFA ’14 – winner
- Elise Burke MFA ’15 – runner-up
2013- Judged by Daniel Mueller
- Eric Thompson MFA ’13 – winner
- Annie Mountcastle MFA ’13 – runner-up
- Amanda Pauley MFA ’14 – runner-up
2012- Judged by R.T. Smith
- David Gauly MFA ’12 – winner
2011- Judged by Jean McGarry
- David Gauly MFA ’12 – winner
- Meighan Sharp MFA ’11 – runner-up
- Lauren Smith MFA ’11 – runner-up
Melanie Hook Rice Award in Creative Nonfiction
In memory of Melanie Hook Rice, Class of 1975, this award is given to a graduate or undergraduate student in the creative writing program who has demonstrated considerable writing skills and has either completed or made substantial progress toward writing a book-length work of nonfiction.
2017- Judged by Peter Trachtenberg
- Sydney Tammarine MFA ’18- winner
- Josalyn Knapic MFA ’17- runner-up
- Abigail Tippin MFA ’17- runner-up
2016- Judged by Susan Fox Rogers
- Mallory Jones MFA ’16- winner
- Miranda Jenkins MFA ’16- runner-up
- Ericka Kelly ’16- runner-up
2015- Judged by Scott McClanahan
- Elizabeth Caldwell MFA ’15 – winner
- Mallory Jones MFA ’16 – runner-up
- Martha Park MFA ’15 – runner-up
2014- Judged by Lia Purpura
- Martha Park MFA ’15 – winner
2012- Judged by Paul Lisicky
- S.H. Lohmann MFA ’12 – winner
- Lorie Imsdahl MFA ’13 – runner-up
2011- Judged by Jenny Boully, MFA ’99
- Alys Sink ’11- winner
Melanie Hook Rice Award in the Novel
In memory of Melanie Hook Rice, Class of 1975, this award is given to a graduate or undergraduate student in the creative writing program who has demonstrated considerable writing skills and has either completed or made substantial progress toward writing a novel.
2017- Judged by Robert Siegel
- Tessa Cheek MFA ’17- winner
- Elizabeth Reitzell MFA ’17- runner-up
- Ellie Paolini MFA ’17- runner-up
2016- Judged by Jon Pineda
- Ellen Ray MFA ’16- winner
- Elizabeth Booze MFA ’16- runner-up
- Tessa Cheek MFA ’17- runner-up
2015- Judged by Ravi Howard
- Elisabeth Booze MFA ’16 – winner
- Marissa Mazek MFA ’15 – runner-up
2014- Judged by Drew Perry
- Virginia Wood MFA ’14 – winner
- Emma Bohmann MFA ’14 – runner-up
- Colin Lee MFA ’14 – runner-up
2013- Judged by Adam Ross
- Colin Lee MFA ’14 – winner
- Annie Mountcastle MFA ’14 – runner-up
2012- Judged by Jessica Anya Blau
- Courtney Cullinan Robb MFA ’12 – winner
- Mary Catherine Curley MFA ’12 – runner-up
2011- Judged by Ed Falco
- Courtney Cullinan Robb MFA ’12 – winner
