Writing Competition: Jacobs/Jones African-American Literary Prize

JACOBS/JONES AFRICAN-AMERICAN LITERARY PRIZE
Postmark Deadline: January 2 (annual)
Submissions Accepted: November 1 – January 2

 

The Jacobs/Jones African-American Literary Prize honors Harriet Jacobs and Thomas Jones, two pioneering African-American writers from North Carolina, and seeks to convey the rich and varied existence of Black North Carolinians. The contest is administered by the Creative Writing Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The winner receives $1,000 and possible publication of the winning entry in The Carolina Quarterly.

 

Eligibility and Guidelines

 

The competition is open to any African-American writer whose primary residence is in North Carolina.

 

Entries may be fiction or creative nonfiction, but must be unpublished, no more than 3,000 words, and concerned with the lives and experiences of North Carolina African-Americans. Entries may be excerpts from longer works, but must be self-contained. Entries will be judged on literary merit.

 

An entry fee must accompany each submission: $10 for NCWN members, $20 for nonmembers. You may submit multiple entries, but the correct fee must accompany each one.

 

You may pay the members' entry fee if you join the NCWN when you submit.

 

Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please notify us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.

 

If submitting by mail, submit two copies of an unpublished manuscript, not to exceed 3,000 words, on single-sided pages, double-spaced, in black 12-point Times New Roman font, with 1-inch margins.

 

The author’s name should not appear on the manuscript. Instead, include a separate cover sheet with name, address, phone number, e-mail address, word count, and manuscript title.

 

To submit by USPS:

Jacobs/Jones African-American Literary Prize
UNC Creative Writing Program
Attn: Anita Braxton
Greenlaw Hall, CB#3520
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3520

 

To submit online, go here. Submittable will collect your entry fee via credit card ($10 NCWN members / $20 nonmembers). (If submitting online, do not include a cover sheet with your document; Submittable will collect and record your name and contact information.)

Entries will not be returned.

The winner will be announced in February.
For questions, please contact:

 

edATncwritersDOTorg (Change AT to @ and DOT to . )