University Writing Awards

Categories: Essay, Poetry, Short Story, and Playwriting

Daniel T. Mitchell Memorial Essay Contest
(Divisions: Freshman/Sophomore; Junior/Senior; Graduate)

• Expository or critical essays; topic open. Essays written since January 2024 for
  ANY LMU course are eligible.
• Freshman-Sophomore, Junior-Senior and Graduate divisions
• One entry per person

Denise L. Scott Memorial Poetry Contest

• Each LMU undergraduate student may enter one poem.

Graduate Poetry Contest:

• Each LMU graduate student may enter one poem.

Frank Sullivan Memorial Short Story Contest

• Each LMU undergraduate student may enter one story.

Graduate Short Story Contest

• Each LMU graduate student may enter one story.

Undergraduate Playwriting Contest

• Each LMU undergraduate student may enter one stage play (not a script for screen or television) of any number of acts. 

Graduate Playwriting Contest

• Each LMU graduate student may enter one stage play (not a script for screen or television) or any number of acts. 

Submission Instructions

1. Manuscripts must be original.
   Previous Writing Award submissions may NOT be resubmitted.

2. Please e-mail your submission as an MS Word file attachment to the Senior Administrative Coordinator for the English Department Maria Jackson at maria.jackson@lmu.edu. Include “University Writing Awards, the Contest Category, and your name in the Subject line of the email.”
   
   Example: “Writing Awards: Essay: Freshman/Sophomore Division, John Smith”
   
   
3. Each submission MUST include two files: 1) a file with an anonymous manuscript (your name should not appear anywhere on the manuscript) 2) a file containing the cover page for your manuscript with the following information in the order below:

your manuscript’s title

the manuscript’s category and division

your name

your LMU Lion e-mail address

your student ID number

your mailing address

your telephone number

your major

your college

your graduation year/class

1. Please remember that the author’s name cannot appear anywhere on the actual manuscript; entries bearing an author’s name will be disqualified.

For Essay, Short Story, Poetry and Playwriting:

• Essays and short stories must be double-spaced; poems may use the spacing appropriate for the work's visual and aesthetic needs; plays should be formatted according to standard playwriting form.  The title should appear on the first page of the manuscript and the title should appear on every subsequent page. Make sure to number your manuscript pages.

Submissions are due by 5 p.m. (Pacific Time) on Monday, March 24, 2025

Contest winners will be announced at an event that will also include the unveiling of
our student-edited publications on Friday, May 2, at 5:00 PM in the
English Village, University Hall, Suite 3800.

Entries will be judged anonymously by LMU faculty and without written comments. In a category or division, if the pool of manuscripts is too small or if manuscripts do not meet contest parameters, the LMU Writing Awards judges and coordinator may choose not to grant an award.