the Informer

The English Department of the College of Arts and Sciences is accepting entries for their annual Writing Contest for the spring semester.

The professors from the English Department want to acknowledge and award the students who enjoy writing and letting their creativity shine as much as they do.

The writing contest includes various writing styles ranging from critical essays, personal essays, poetry, short fiction and other forms of writing in which students will be able to express themselves.

“I strongly encourage everyone to enter,” said Benjamin Grossberg, Assistant Professor of the English Department and also one of the people in charge of the contest.

The contest is divided into 10 categories and participants are allowed to enter three. Some of the categories are the Phyllis B. Abrahams Award in Poetry, Fiction and Drama, Minerva Nieditz Prize for Metaphysical or Philosophical and many more. These categories were named after University of Hartford Alumni.

“Most of the sponsors were English majors who have gone on to make good in the world, and now want to encourage and reward a new generation of excellent writers,” said Grossberg.

The rules of the contest vary depending on which category you participate in. Some ask for 20 to 30 pages in length or up to six poems. Grossberg said that all contests are judged anonymously and there is a panel for each category.

The judges are looking for precise critical analysis, creativity and how a student is able to put their piece together. Participants are only allowed to submit their works electronically.

The writing contests are giving out more than $8,000 in prizes and Grossberg also said that “we often award honorable mentions in many categories, in addition to the first second and third place finisher. We give out as much money as we can.”

There is an award ceremony at the end of the semester where the winners are acknowledged for their outstanding work and receive their cash prizes.

Grossberg encourages everyone to participate and show off their best work. Some participants from the past have handed in original poems, critical analysis of literature and even original screenplays.

There is no fee to sign up for the contests and “the judging is as fair as we can make it,” Grossberg said.

The deadline for the contest is March 2 and they will not be accepting late entries after the date.

This is an opportunity for writers within the University to show their creativity and different ways of expression.

“We want to reward as many good writers as we can,” said Grossberg.