Undergraduate Writing Awards

The Writing Program administers four undergraduate writing awards: the Alexandra L. Rowan Writing Award, The Melissa Difatta Undergraduate Nonfiction Award, The Taube Award in Fiction, and the Academy of American Poets Undergraduate Award. Scroll down for award guidelines. See the Award Winners page for previous prize recipients.

Alexandra L. Rowan Writing Award

The Alexandra L. Rowan Writing Award is named after Alexandra L. Rowan, a graduate of the Writing Program who died tragically in 2013, and is endowed by the foundation that bears her name. The award is given annually to a woman poet, fiction writer, and writer of nonfiction, each of whom receives $2,000 in recognition of the excellence of her work. The award is judged by a distinguished writer, who makes the presentation and gives a reading and talk at the Alexandra Rowan Writing Festival. The 2018 awards will be judged by the novelist Allison Amend, who will present them in April. 

Questions? Contact Andrea Laurion

The Melissa Difatta Undergraduate Nonfiction Award 

Prizes totaling $200 will be awarded for a first, second, and third place nonfiction manuscript written by an undergraduate student enrolled in a nonfiction course at Pitt during the 2016-17 academic year.

Submission Deadline: March 13, 2018

The Taube Award in Fiction

Prizes totalling $600 will be awarded for a first, second and third place fiction piece written by a Pitt undergraduate student. 

Submission Deadline: March 13, 2018

Questions? Contact Andrea Laurion

Academy of American Poets Undergraduate Award

A $100 prize, plus a $50 membership from the Academy of American Poets, will be awarded for a poem written by a Pitt undergraduate student. Students may submit up to three poems. 

Submission Deadline:  March 13, 2018

To submit your work, go to
pittwritingcontests.submittable.com.

For more information, contact Andrea
Laurion: arl117@pitt.edu; 412-624-6508

Winners will be announced at the Creative Writing Awards ceremony in April 2018 and their names will be posted on the English Department website.