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Keene Prize

Overview

Mr. E. L. Keene, a 1942 graduate of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin, envisioned a prize that would honor and support the pursuit of great American writing, and through his estate made possible the Keene Prize in Literature.

In establishing this prize, Mr. Keene hoped "to encourage the writing and publishing of good American Literature, to lend financial support to the creators of such literature, and to enhance the prestige and reputation in the world market of American writers both now and in the future." According to Mr. Keene's wishes, the recipient of this prize will be selected from among those who create "the most vivid and vital portrayal of the American experience in microcosm."

In addition, the winner will be the student who demonstrates "the greatest artistic merit and narrative mastery of the English language and has shown the greatest promise of becoming a professional writer, as judged by the Scholarship Committee of the College of Liberal Arts."

Poetry, drama, fiction, and non-fictional prose.

As mandated by Mr. Keene's endowment, this prize will be judged by the Scholarship Committee of the College of Liberal Arts. 

The winner of the Keene Prize will receive $50,000. Three runners-up will receive $20,000 each.

All undergraduate or graduate students currently enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin are eligible to compete, with the exception of previous winners of the prize. Entrants must be enrolled during the semester of submission, Spring 2024.

Applicants should submit electronically, in a single document, a collection of poetry, a complete play, or a work of prose, plus a separate curriculum vitae. Submissions should be original work, demonstrating superior expression and craftsmanship. Work may not have been published before September 1, 2023. Only one submission per applicant please.

Deadline and Submission Procedure

By January 19, 2024, please submit TWO separate electronic documents, your entry and CV, to keeneprize@mail.dla.utexas.edu. The CV must contain the following information: author's name, title of entry, address, phone number, e-mail address, current standing at the University, and UT EID. Very Important: The entry itself should contain no identifying markers except the title. If it does so it will not be accepted. Pages should be numbered and proofread.

  • Poetry - Minimum 10 pages, maximum 30 pages. May be one poem or a collection of poems.
  • Play - Use standard play format. 17,000 words maximum.
  • Prose – Minimum 7,500 words, maximum 12,500 words. May be one work, an extract from a longer work, or a compilation of shorter works.
  • Non-fictional Prose – same as above.

2023 Keene Prize for Literature Winner

Reena Shah's novel excerpt "Every Happiness" was awarded the 2023 Keene Prize for Literature from The University of Texas at Austin. The novel will be published by Bloomsbury in 2025.

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College of Liberal Arts

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