Congratulations to our 2023 Writing Competition Winners!
Brancart Fiction Award:
- 1st Place: Lila Singh for “Good Company”
Richardson Poetry Award:
- 1st Place: Avalon Felice Lee for “Rumplestiltskinned”
Most Excellent Awards
Narrative Prose:
- 1st Place: Avalon Felice Lee for “The Chilla”
- Runner-Up: Anissa Estrada for “We’ve Got It”
- Honorable Mentions: Ashley Alvarado, Elaina Smolin, Maya Salem
Poetry:
- 1st Place: Margaret Gray for “What I should have said,” “Thru the Window,” and “Dead Body Encounter”
- Runner-Up: Sophie Najm for “Sahtain”
- Honorable Mentions: Sasha Senal, Hem Huang, Maya Salem
Essay:
- 1st Place: Sydney Fry for “Language as Treasure: The Maori Language Revitalization Movement”
- Runner-Up: Hem Huang for “Collective guilt, no! Collective responsibility, yes.” The Case for African American Reparations through California’s AB 3121”
- Honorable Mentions: Lila Singh, Helen Sweeney, Dahlia Sloan
2023 Summer Travel Writing Contest Awards (one-time contest):
- 1st prize ($500): Maya Salem for "Wild Blackberries"
- 2nd prize ($300): Leo Rubio for "The Places We Call Home"
- 3rd prize ($140): Elaina Smolin for "Endless Summer"
Read more about 2023 Summer Travel Writing Contest
CCS Writing Competitions
The College of Creative Studies (CCS) Writing Competitions are open to all UCSB undergraduate students. Administered by the CCS Writing & Literature program, the College seeks to discover and celebrate undergraduate writers in a variety of genres.
The Awards
Brancart Fiction Writing Contest: Established by CCS alumna Christine Lehner in memory of her grandmother Reine Brancart, the Brancart Fiction Award is given each year for an exemplary work of fiction. The fiction piece must be at least one (1) page in length but no more than fifteen (15). One entry per student.
- Winner receives: $600.00
Richardson Poetry Writing Contest: Established by CCS alumnus Jeffrey Hewitt in memory of his grandmother Henrietta Wing Richardson, the Richardson Poetry Prize is given each year for an exemplary work of poetry. Students may submit a poem or group of poems of no more than five (5) pages. One entry per student.
- Winner receives: $400.00
CCS Most Excellent Writing Contest (Narrative Prose, Essay, Poetry): Students may submit a piece of fiction, an essay or a poem (one submission per category). Narrative prose and essay submissions should be 1-10 pages, and poetry submissions should be 1-5 pages. One entry per category per student.
- One First Place Winner per category receives: $35.00
- One Second Place Winner per category receives: $25.00
- Three Honorable Mentions receive: $15.00
M. Garren Tinney Writing Award: Established by Donna Tinney in memory of her son Garren '01 (L&S English) who had an interest in and was passionate about writing. This annual award is supported by the M. Garren Tinney Memorial Fund. Undergraduate students at UCSB may submit a piece of creative nonfiction, including personal essays, memoir, reportage, and more. Submissions should be 1-10 pages. One entry per student.
- Winner receives: $500.00