2021 Prose & Poetry Contest

Three winners awarded $1000 each.

 

2021 CONTEST RESULTS

FICTION: "November Recital” by Hailey Rose Hanks in Broussard, LA
NONFICTION: "Rete Mirabile" by Hannah Hindley in Glen Ellen, CA
POETRY: "Something Living" by Carling McManus in Charleston, WV

Each winner published in the Spring 2022 issue online and in print. 

 

2021 Guest Judges

FICTION: LYDIA CONKLIN

NONFICTION: JULIETTA SINGH

POETRY: JIHYUN YUN // Photo credit: Kai Coggin

2020 Prose & Poetry Contest

Three winners awarded $1000 each.

 

2020 PROSE & POETRY CONTEST RESULTS

Prizewinners selected by guest judges.

FICTION: "The Girl with Precise Interests” by Mona’a Malik in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
NONFICTION: "Fruit Snack Fairytale” by Alisha Acquaye in Monticello, NY
POETRY: "How Do I Set Your Absence Somewhere?” by Ryan Little in Sacramento, CA

Each winner published in the Spring 2021 issue online and in print.

 

2020 Guest Judges

FICTION: SHRUTI SWAMY

FICTION: SHRUTI SWAMY

NONFICTION: KENDRA ALLEN

NONFICTION: KENDRA ALLEN

POETRY: ROY G. GUZMÁN | Photo credit: Kai Coggin

POETRY: ROY G. GUZMÁN | Photo credit: Kai Coggin

 

2019 Prose & Poetry Contest

Three winners awarded $1000 each

 

CONTEST RESULTS

Prizewinners selected by guest judges.

FICTION: "A Simple Case" by Nancy Ludmerer in New York, NY
NONFICTION: "Cleft" by Jason Glover in Portland, OR
POETRY: "From the Book on Pit Firing Pottery" by Sarah Sousa in Ashfield, MA

Each winner published in the Spring 2020 issue online and in print.  

 

GUEST JUDGES

FICTION: LYDIA KIESLING

FICTION: LYDIA KIESLING

NONFICTION: BENJAMIN BUSCH

NONFICTION: BENJAMIN BUSCH

POETRY: ANALICIA SOTELO

POETRY: ANALICIA SOTELO

2018 Prose & Poetry Contest

Three winners awarded $1000 each

 

CONTEST RESULTS

Prizewinners selected by guest judges.

FICTION: "Heart of Gold" by Tom Howard in Arlington, VA
NONFICTION: "This Is My Body" by April Vazquez in Guanajuato, Mexico
POETRY: "An Egyptian Myth" by Donald Levering in Santa Fe, NM

Each winner awarded $1000 and published in the Spring 2019 issue. 

Honorable Mentions selected by editors.

"Up, up, on implausible wings: The chance ascent of the iconic puffin" by Shauna Jones (Nonfiction)
"Vacuuming At Night" by Jacob Aiello (Nonfiction)
"How to Build a Nervous System (Lyrica Commercial)" by Lauren Myers-Hinkle (Poetry)
"The Button Maker's House" by Sakae Manning (Fiction) 

Many thanks to all who entered!

 

GUEST JUDGES

FICTION: BELLE BOGGS

FICTION: BELLE BOGGS

NONFICTION: ALEX LEMON

NONFICTION: ALEX LEMON

POETRY: CARMEN GIMÉNEZ SMITH

POETRY: CARMEN GIMÉNEZ SMITH

2017 Prose & Poetry Contest

(formerly Premium Edition Contest)

Three winners awarded $1000 each

 

CONTEST RESULTS

Prizewinners selected by guest judges.

FICTION: "Peach" by Thomas Gresham in San Diego, CA
NONFICTION: "Stories of Men and Women" by M.K. Narváez in New York, NY
POETRY: "On Learning That Ho Chi Minh Once Worked as a Baker at the Parker House Hotel in Boston" by Robbie Gamble in Chestnut Hill, MA

Each winner awarded $1000 and published in the Spring 2018 issue. 

 

Honorable Mentions

"I Am Fat" by Paulette Fire (Nonfiction)
"Sal Wants to Sleep" by Serena Johe (Fiction)

Many thanks to all who entered and made this year another amazing contest!

 

GUEST JUDGES

FICTION: EJ LEVY

FICTION: EJ LEVY

NONFICTION: MATTHEW VOLLMER

NONFICTION: MATTHEW VOLLMER

POETRY: TOMÁS Q. MORÍN

POETRY: TOMÁS Q. MORÍN

2016 Premium Edition Contest

Three winners awarded $1000 each

 

CONTEST RESULTS

Prizewinners selected by guest judges.

FICTION: "Void Spaces" by Andrea Eberly in Seattle, WA
NONFICTION: "The Fox" by Mark Brandi in Victoria, Australia
POETRY: "Understudies" by John Sibley Williams in Milwaukie, OR

Each winner awarded $1000 and published in the Spring 2017 issue.

 

Honorable Mention

"Paint by number" by Devi Laskar (Poetry)
"Accordions of the Mon Valley" by Sharon Dilworth (Nonfiction)

 

Thank you to ALL who entered and made this year another amazing contest!

 

GUEST JUDGES

FICTION: ERIN FLANAGAN

FICTION: ERIN FLANAGAN

POETRY: RUTH MADIEVSKY

POETRY: RUTH MADIEVSKY

NONFICTION: MARC NIESON

NONFICTION: MARC NIESON

2015 Premium Edition Contest

Three winners awarded $1000 each.

 

CONTEST RESULTS

Prizewinners were selected by staff editors.

FICTION: Joe Dornich in Lubbock, TX for "The Reluctant Son of a Fake Hero."
POETRY: Moira Thielking in Katonah, NY for "Pirating (Salt Enough)."
NONFICTION: Kerry Muir in Annapolis, Maryland for "Martin."

Each winner was awarded $1000 and published in the Spring 2016 issue.

Many thanks to all who entered!

2014 Esoteric Contest

 
 

Theme: UK-inspired
The final year of the Esoteric Contest. 

 

Contest results

Prizewinner
“Berryman’s” by Guy Mitchell in London, UK

The prizewinning story was awarded $1000 and is available in the Spring 2014 issue, which also features an interview with the author.

 

Finalists
“Snares” by Tyler Keevil
“We Can Practice Starts” by C.R. Sender

Thank you to everyone who entered.

 

Guest judges

Sandra Hunter
Jake Andrews
Dan Powell
Jennifer Harvey
Elizabeth Baines

2013 Esoteric Awards

 
 

Theme: Natural Disaster

 

CONTEST RESULTS

Prizewinners selected by staff editors.

Prizewinners
“Storm in a Teacup” by Dan Powell in the United Kingdom.
“The Possibility of Fire” by Jessica Barksdale in Oakland, CA
“Higher Ground” by Karen Celestan in New Orleans, LA

Honorable Mentions
“Before the Earth Shook” by Victoria Large in Cambridge, MA
“A Chance to Get Involved” by Jeff Moscaritolo in Lincoln, NE.

 

Prizewinning stories were awarded $1000 each and honorable mentions were awarded $100 each. All are available in the Spring 2013 issue, which also features interviews with the prizewinning authors and includes comments from the editors.

Thank you to everyone who entered!

2012 Esoteric Awards

 
 

Theme: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender

 

Contest results

Prizewinners were selected by staff editors.

Fiction Prizewinners
Sarah Rosenblum, Chicago, IL - "What You Miss"
Jennifer Pashley, Clinton, NY - "Angels"
Rachel Steiger-Meister, Cincinnati, OH - "Chlorine Mermaid"
Jeremy Garrett, Austin, TX - "The Exhausted Pose"

Photography Prizewinner
Karen Shacham, Atlanta GA

All prizewinners were awarded $250 and are featured in the Spring 2012 issue online.

Thank you to all who entered the inaugural contest!