The latest slate of TIL literary contests is now open with prizes adding up to $23,750. In addition, the TIL will bestow a lifetime achievement award ($7,000) and the Jones Fellowship ($9,000), for a total of more than $39,000 in annual awards.
The Texas Institute of Letters has named its distinguished judges for its literary contests, which are now open for submissions. Judges will select finalists and winners in thirteen categories for the best works published in 2024. Winners will be awarded at the TIL’s annual meeting, to be held on April 25-26, 2025 in Brownsville, Texas.
To submit works for award consideration:
1. Complete online contest entry form and pay entry fee ($20 for book awards / $10 for short story & short nonfiction awards). Note that for a work to be eligible, either 1) the writer must have lived in Texas for a minimum of five consecutive years at some time or 2) the work’s subject matter must substantially concern Texas.
2. Submissions of works must be mailed to the appropriate judging committee members. Addresses are listed below. Since there are three members for each committee, you will need to send a copy of the work to each judge. Include a brief note inside each copy of the book or clipped to the article that identifies the contest that you are entering.
3. Authors or their representatives should not have any contact with judges other than to submit work to each judge.
4. A book can only be entered in one category.
5. Submissions must be postmarked no later than Monday, January 6, 2025.
6. All works entered must be published in a print format during 2024, with four exceptions. Works for the Cattarulla and Shrake awards must be published in print OR digital format during 2024. Unpublished manuscripts and online publications will not be considered. Submissions for the two biennial awards, the Whitehead and the Girón / Valdez, are for books published in 2023 or 2024.
7. To be considered, an entry must be the first published version of the work.
8. A person or publisher may enter only one work per author per contest category for the writing contests; a person or publisher may enter only one work per translator for the translation contest. In other words, a publisher may enter different works by different authors in one category but cannot submit more than one book by the same author or translator in one category.
- The only exception to the ‘one work per author per contest category’ rule is the Shrake Award for Short Nonfiction: “This prize is for the best article or essay appearing in newspapers, journals, or magazines. Multiple articles by a single author may be submitted — with a total not exceeding 10,000 words, as long as those articles are parts of a series or by a columnist.”
9. The Cattarulla and Shrake awards allow for the submission of works that have been published in print OR digital formats during 2024. Eligible digital publications should be: refereed and edited journals with an acceptance/rejection policy (not self-publishing); stand-alone digital publications (e.g. Narrative Magazine) or online publications of established print magazines or newspapers (e.g. Atlantic Monthly); and digital publications with a discernible publication date. The digital publication of the short story or short nonfiction should be the first published version of the work. Special submission instructions: print the digital entry, with URL at the top of the first page, and submit work to judges by regular mail.
CONTEST CATEGORIES AND JUDGES
[Note that the first judge listed is the chair of each committee.]
Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Book of Fiction ($5,000)
- Britt Haraway ℅ UTRGV Creative Writing Department, 1201 W University Drive, Edinburg, TX 78539
- Evert Villarreal ℅ UTRGV Department of Literatures and Cultural Studies, 1201 W University Drive, Edinburg, Texas 78539-2999
- Robert Moreira 3711 Blue Jay Drive, Mission TX 78572
Sergio Troncoso Award for Best First Book of Fiction ($5,000)
- Britt Haraway ℅ UTRGV Creative Writing Department, 1201 W University Drive, Edinburg, TX 78539
- Evert Villarreal ℅ UTRGV Department of Literatures and Cultural Studies, 1201 W University Drive, Edinburg, Texas 78539-2999
- Robert Moreira 3711 Blue Jay Drive, Mission TX 78572
Carr P. Collins Award for Best Book of Nonfiction ($4,000)
- Jerry D. Thompson ℅ TAMIU Department of Humanities, 5201 University Blvd., Laredo, TX 78041
- Mary Margaret McAllen ℅ Witte Museum, 3801 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209
- Rachel Gentry 190 Island View Dr., Whitewater, MI 49696
Burdine Johnson Award for Best Book of Poetry ($1,250)
- Steven Schneider ℅ UTRGV Creative Writing Department, 1201 W University Drive Edinburg, TX 78539
- Jennifer Grotz 330 Aberdeen St., Rochester NY 14619
- KB Brookins 509 Meadow Lea Dr., Austin, TX 78745
Texas Institute of Letters Award for Best First Book of Poetry ($1,000)
- Steven Schneider ℅ UTRGV Creative Writing Department, 1201 W University Drive Edinburg, TX 78539
- Jennifer Grotz 330 Aberdeen St., Rochester, NY 14619
- KB Brookins 509 Meadow Lea Dr., Austin, TX 78745
Texas Institute of Letters Award for Most Significant Scholarly Book ($1,000)
- Whitney Nell Stewart 1001 Belleview St. APT 707, Dallas, TX 75215
- George T. Díaz ℅ UTRGV History Department, 1201 W University Drive, Edinburg, TX 78539
- Randall Monty ℅ UTRGV Department of Writing and Language Studies, 1201 W University Drive, Edinburg, Texas 78539-2999
Jean Flynn Award for Best Young Adult Book ($1,000)
- R. Joseph Rodriguez 1516 Poppy Seed Lane, Austin, TX 78741-7523
- Veronique Medrano 980 Plantation St., Brownsville, TX 78526
- Héctor Rodríguez III 1908 Woodway Dr., McKinney, TX 75071
Deirdre Siobhan FlynnBass Award for Best Middle Grade Book ($1,000)
- Sarah Cuadra c/o The Storybook Garden, 260 S. Texas Blvd., Ste 106, Weslaco, TX 78596
- Mark Zavala 5703 Redbird Street, Edinburg, TX 78543
- Amanda V. Ramírez ℅ McAllen Public Library, 4001 N 23rd St., McAllen, TX 78504
Brigid Erin Flynn Award for Best Picture Book ($1,000)
- Sarah Cuadra c/o The Storybook Garden 260 S Texas Blvd, Ste 106 Weslaco, TX 78596
- Mark Zavala 5703 Redbird Street, Edinburg, TX 78543
- Amanda V. Ramírez ℅ McAllen Public Library 4001 N 23rd St., McAllen, TX 78504
Fred Whitehead Award for Best Design of a Trade Book ($1,500)
(This is a biennial award for books published in 2023 and 2024.)
- Helene Nicol Bowles-Maldonado 425 High View Ranch Drive, Cedar Creek, TX 78612
- Diana Vargas 1314 Marwood Ct., Allen, TX 75013
- Lauren Raye Snow P.O. Box 15037, San Antonio TX 78212
Kay Cattarulla Award for Best Short Story ($1,000)
- Selena Gambrell Anderson 250 Point Lobos Ave., #603, San Francisco, CA 94121
- Michael Bracken 1213 South Haven, Hewitt, TX 76643
- Laura Wilson 10621 Strait Lane, Dallas, Texas 75209
Edwin “Bud” Shrake Award for Best Short Nonfiction ($1,000)
- Dave Parsons 414 Oakhill Drive, Conroe, TX 77304
- Cecilia Ballí 131 Haynes Ave., San Antonio, TX 78210
- Roberto José Andrade 10765 Fort Worth St. El Paso, Texas 79924
Girón / Valdez Bilingual Poetry Award ($1,000)
(This is a biennial award for books published in 2023 and 2024.)
- Robert L. Girón c/o Gival Press, PO Box 3812, Arlington, VA 22203
- David Bowles 4717 N FM 493, Donna, TX 78537
- César De León 1230 W. Madison, Harlingen, TX 78550
The Texas Institute of Letters is a non-profit established in 1936 to promote interest in Texas literature and to recognize literary achievement. The TIL’s elected membership consists of the state’s most recognized and serious writers of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, journalism, and scholarship. The membership includes winners of the MacArthur Fellowship, Man Booker Prize, Pulitzer Prizes in drama, fiction, and nonfiction, as well as prizes awarded by PEN, and dozens of other regional and national award and grant-giving institutions.
The concepts of diversity and affirmative action guide the policies and programs of the Texas Institute of Letters. Our goal is to provide equal opportunity and representation to all distinguished writers without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information or any other protected characteristic under applicable law. To truly reflect the population and the experience of all peoples living in Texas, we seek and value the benefits of diversity in membership, awardees, and administration.
