Fiction Competition: Drue Heinz Literature Prize

The Drue Heinz Literature Prize Call for Submissions 2011

The Drue Heinz Literature Prize recognizes and supports writers of short fiction and makes their work available to readers around the world. The award is open to writers who have published a book-length collection of fiction or at least three short stories or novellas in commercial magazines or literary journals.

Manuscripts are judged anonymously by nationally known writers; past judges have included Robert Penn Waren, Joyce Carol Oates, Raymond Carver, Margaret Atwood, Russell Banks, Rick Moody and Joan Didion. The prize carries a cash award of $15,000 and publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press under its standard contract.

The winner will be announced by the University Press in January. No information about the winner will be released before the official announcement. The volume of manuscripts prevents the Press from offering critiques or entering into communication or correspondence about manuscripts. Please do not call or e-mail the Press.

Eligibility

The award is open to writers who have published a book-length collection of fiction or a minimum of three short stories or novellas in commercial magazines or literary journals of national distribution. On-line publication does not count toward this requirement.

The award is open to writers in English, whether or not they are citizens of the United States.

University of Pittsburgh employees, former employees, current students, and those who have been students within the last three years are not eligible for the award.

Translations are not eligible if the translation was not done by the author.

Eligible submissions include a manuscript of short stories; one or more novellas (a novella may comprise a maximum of 130 double-spaced typed pages); or a combination of one or more novellas and short stories. Novellas are only accepted as part of a larger collection. Manuscripts may be no fewer than 150 and no more than 300 typed pages.

Stories or novellas previously published in book form as part of an anthology are eligible.

Format for Submissions

Manuscripts must be typed double-spaced on quality white paper, unbound, and pages must be numbered consecutively. Clean, legible photocopies on high quality white paper are acceptable.

Each submission must include a list of the writer's published short fiction work, with full citations.

Manuscripts will be judged anonymously. Each manuscript should have two cover pages: one listing the title of the manuscript and the author's name, address, e-mail address (if available), and telephone number; and a second listing only the manuscript title. The author's name, other identifying information, and publication information must not appear after the first cover page.

Manuscripts will not be returned.

Multiple Submissions

Manuscripts may also be under consideration by other publishers, but if a manuscript is accepted for publication elsewhere, please notify thePress.

Authors may submit more than one manuscript to the competition as long as one manuscript or a portion thereof does not duplicate material submitted in another manuscript.

Dates for Submission

Manuscripts must be received during May and June 2010. That is, they must be postmarked on or after May 1 and on or before June 30.

Send submissions to:
Drue Heinz Literature Prize
University of Pittsburgh Press
3400 Forbes Avenue
Eureka Building, Fifth Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

If you have any questions about these guidelines, please e-mail press(at)pitt.edu (replace (at) with @)

press@pitt.edu