The Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award for Creative Writers
This contest is now CLOSED but will reopen again. Subscribe to Submit Write Now! to be informed when this award will be open to writers of various genres.
Peter K. Hixson (1947-2007) was a much-beloved client of Writer’s Relief. Peter’s creative roots were evident as far back as the third grade, when an encounter with an encouraging teacher fueled his interest in poetry. It developed in earnest in high school as a cathartic means for dealing with the death of his high school soul mate on Christmas day.
Peter’s love of art and learning led him to become a real “Renaissance Man.” He earned a PhD in speech-language pathology from Purdue University and spent his professional career developing programs, teaching, doing research, mentoring others, and serving as President of the Rochester Hearing and Speech Center, a large community nonprofit agency in upstate New York. For thirty years Peter also pursued his avocation as a dancer and choreographer. Later in life he enjoyed success as a woodworker, a volunteer fireman, a community volunteer, and a formidable tennis player. Apart from his many academic publications, Peter’s creative writing appeared in Concho River Review, Lynx Eye, The MacGuffin, North Atlantic Review, RE:AL, The Texas Review, and Whiskey Island Magazine.
When we at Writer’s Relief heard the news of Peter’s passing, we all grieved. Peter’s dedication was a true inspiration: In his writing, he was never afraid to tackle important issues, but he also had a lyrical and playful outlook.
Not only was Peter a talented writer, he was a caring and generous individual. His success in using our services inspired him to create a fund so that up-and-coming writers might have the opportunity to advance their careers with the help of Writer’s Relief.
Peter’s bequest of this award was an act of exceptional kindness and generosity. In spite of our sadness over his death, he continues to inspire us. Peter’s twin brother, Doug, notes, “I think his idea for a writing award grew from his understanding of how difficult it is to get published without losing hope.”
And in the words of Peter’s wife, Lois, “Peter often counted on the encouragement and support of the Writer’s Relief staff when he hit periods of discouragement that his writing would ever be of interest to anyone. Had an award like this been available to him, I believe he would have jumped at the opportunity and, once involved, would have found a way to stay connected because he so valued the help and encouragement he received.”
With funding from Peter’s estate, we at Writer’s Relief are deeply honored to offer the Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award for Creative Writers.
Read some of Peter K. Hixson’s work.
Peter K. Hixson (1947-2007)
What The Award Entails
Watch our e-publication Submit Write Now! for announcements. Please read all guidelines carefully before emailing us with your questions and comments.
Winners of the Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award are given Writer’s Relief services free of charge.
Our Full Service includes cover or query letter creation, targeting, proofreading, tracking, and much more. If you have questions about this award, please read more about our Full Service. We hope to make Peter proud in our commitment to his artistic ideals and dreams.
Winners will be selected by the Writer’s Relief Review Board based on 1) strength of writing sample, 2) strength of personal statement, 3) financial or other need.
NOTIFICATION: Winners will be notified by phone; other applicants will be notified of their status via email.
Winners’ first and last names will be publicly announced online on the Writer’s Relief homepage, blog, and other websites. Writer’s Relief will NOT be publishing the winning texts in any way (in print or online). Winners retain all copyrights to their work. Winners are not required to continue as Writer’s Relief clients after their awards have been received.
Who Is Eligible To Apply
All writers eighteen or older are welcome, but early- to mid-career writers with financial or other need are especially encouraged to apply. To honor Peter’s too brief career in creative writing, preference will be given to writers who have not necessarily been widely published but who demonstrate exceptional technique, voice, and perspective. We will also take financial or other need into account.
Writers are welcome to apply to both this award and to our Review Board (for admission to our Full Service client list) if they choose to.
Current Writer’s Relief clients, employees past or present, and previous winners are not eligible.
No preference will be given to applicants who identify themselves as friends or family of Peter K. Hixson.
Writers from all nations and backgrounds are welcome! Submissions must be in English (for targeting to American editors of literary journals).
Applicants must be at least eighteen years old. Applicants warrant that all writing is their original creation and has not been published in any form in print or online.
How To Apply – Submission Guidelines
Read all submission guidelines before submitting your application or contacting us about this opportunity. No phone calls, please.
To apply to The Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award For Poetry, please use our online form to send us a sample of your writing (directions are on the form) and a personal statement of no more than two paragraphs.
Applicants who are not already receiving our free, informative e-publication, Submit Write Now!, will be automatically subscribed. Submit Write Now! offers free publishing leads, guidelines, calls for submissions, and articles about submission techniques and etiquette. You are welcome to unsubscribe at any time; however, if you unsubscribe, anti-spammer precautions used by our email management system will prohibit us from contacting you to notify you about your award status.
We are anticipating a large turnout for this competition. For that reason, candidates will NOT be personally notified if their applications fail to meet requirements; in other words, applications that don’t meet guidelines will be disqualified without notification or opportunity for resubmission.
Be sure to follow all instructions. If you don’t follow directions, your submission may be lost and/or disqualified.
- IMPORTANT: You may upload only ONE file. *Your file name must include both your last name and the title of at least one of your pieces in some manner.* To minimize the risk of a mix-up, do NOT call your file anything like “poetry.doc” or “mysubmission.rtf.”
- Acceptable file types are .DOC or .RTF only.
- No children’s poetry.
- Include your name and all contact information (including mailing address) on the first page of your writing sample.
- Poetry must be submitted in standard format: one-inch margins (minimum), 12 pt Times New Roman or other standard font.
- One application per writer. Duplicates will result in disqualification.
- Simultaneous submissions are acceptable.
- No previously published work will be considered.
- Applicants must include a personal statement (1,000 characters MAX).
- Applicants must include a bio detailing publication credits and experience (1,000 characters MAX).
- Applicants must use our online form (no snail mail, no email).
- There is no fee to apply.
Additional Tips For Your Personal Statement
Peter had a deep love of learning, language, storytelling, and community. In your personal statement, please tell us (in first person) a little about yourself, and (if applicable) tell us about any circumstances (financial or other hardships) that may be relevant. The personal statement may not exceed two paragraphs (1,000 characters MAX).
Have a question about this award? Email info@wrelief.com. Do not send applications or writing samples via email (all applications sent via e-mail will be disqualified and deleted).
Previous Winners Were…
2011 Poetry Awards
Lisa Cheby
Christina Kapp
Patricia McMillen
Lauren Yaffe
2010 Awards (All Genres)
Poetry Winner: Kim Waggoner (with honorable mentions for Heather Bartlett, Keith Gaboury, Marissa Mollot, and Adrienne Sneed)
Short Prose Winner: Elishia Heiden (with honorable mentions for Byron Campbell, Pittershawn Palmer, and Maria Carvajal)
Book Winner: Rebecca Elswick (with honorable mentions for Lynda Martin and Lynda Letona)
Wild Card Winners: Jackleen Holton and Daniela Petrova
