Undergraduate Literary Prizes
The Cadigan Prizes for Younger Writers, judged each year by a writer not affiliated with the university, recognize outstanding works of poetry and prose by Bucknell undergraduates. First and second place prizes, as well as honorable mentions, are awarded in each of two genres: prose, which includes both fiction and creative nonfiction, and poetry. The awards are made possible by the generous support of Robb Cadigan '86 and his wife Joan Daughen Cadigan '86.
The Julia Fonville Smithson Memorial Prize, established in the memory of a Bucknell graduate who died in 1977, also awards prizes in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. The winning manuscripts are selected each year by a committee of English professors.
Each year the Annual Student Reading gathers the winners of the two contests for a formal reading in Bucknell Hall. The winners are determined early in the spring semester.
To submit literary work for the 2011-12 Cadigan Prizes, please use the Stadler Center Application Portal, at right. (All submissions must be received via the portal; we no longer accept paper submissions.) The deadline for the 2011-12 prizes is December 6, 2011. Notification is in January.
For information on submitting to the Smithson Prize, please contact the English Department.
Cadigan Prize for Younger Writers 2010–11
This year’s poetry judge was poet Colin Cheney, author of the book Here Be Monsters. The prose judge was fiction writer Caitlin Horrocks, author of the short story collection This Is Not Your City. Poetry prizes are awarded for an entire manuscript and prose prizes for a single short story or essay.
First Place Prize
Mary Hood '11, poetry
"On Bedrooms and Other Poems"
Catherine McClelland '11, prose
"Bitter Tea"Second Place Prize
David Moffat '12, poetry
"Colonial and Other Poems"
Katrina Medoff '13, prose
"Life Preserver"Honorable Mention
Gina Malara '11, poetry
"Red Men and Other Poems"
Megan Holahan '11, prose
"Inishmoor"
Julia Fonville Smithson Memorial Prizes 2011
The Smithson Memorial Prizes are judged by a committee of Bucknell English professors.
Fiction Winner
Jessica Domsky '11
"Two Worlds"
Nonfiction Winner
Megan Erkoboni '11
"Lure"
First Place, Poetry
William Bonfiglio
"Remembering the Loons"
Second Place, Poetry
Megan Erkoboni '11
"Coal Miner's Prayer"
