We hold three literary contests every Spring semester: the Stephen C. Stryker & William H. Stryker Award for Fiction, the Patsy Sumie Saiki Award for Fiction, and the Academy of American Poets award. We also have three creative writing award categories: Myrle Clark Awards, Ernest Hemingway Undergraduate Awards, and the Abernethy Scholarship. All prizes and awards are judged by creative writing faculty, and range from $1000 to $50. Students are also recognized at our annual English Department reception.
The Patsy Sumie Saiki Award for Fiction is given to the best short story by a University of Hawai’i student (First Prize: $1000, Second Prize: $250, and Third Prize: $100).
The Academy of American Poets Prize is given to the best poem or series of poems by a University of Hawai’i student (First Prize: $100).
The Stephen C. & William H. Stryker Award for fiction is given for best short story by a University of Hawai’i at Mānoa student (Prize: $500).
The Robbie Shapard Flash Fiction Prize (First Prize: $250, Second Prize: $50)
The Richard Hamasaki Prize for Oral & Spoken Poetics (amount TBD)
The Ernest Hemingway Undergraduate Awards are given to outstanding undergraduate writers in poetry and fiction.
The Myrle Clark Awards are given to outstanding undergraduate and graduate students nominated by creative writing Faculty.
The Grace K. J. Abernethy Creative Writing Award is given to an outstanding continuing M.A. student in creative writing.