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William Saroyan Prize Calls For Entries

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  • William Saroyan Prize Calls For Entries

    WILLIAM SAROYAN PRIZE CALLS FOR ENTRIES

    Authorlink
    Sept 16 2009

    (Authorlink News, September 17, 2009)--Stanford University Libraries,
    in partnership with the William Saroyan Foundation, announced has
    launched the fourth William Saroyan International Prize for Writing
    (Saroyan Prize). Intended to encourage new or emerging writers
    and honor the Saroyan literary legacy of originality, vitality and
    stylistic innovation, the Saroyan Prize recognizes newly published
    works of both fiction and non-fiction. A prize of $5,000 will be
    awarded in each of these categories.

    Literary fiction, including novels, short story collections,
    and drama, will be eligible for consideration for the Saroyan
    Fiction Prize. Literary non-fiction of any length is eligible for
    consideration for the SaroyanNon-fiction Prize, most particularly
    writing in the Saroyan tradition: memoirs, portraits and excursions
    into neighborhood and community. Entries in either category are
    limited to English language publications that are available for
    individual purchase by the general public. Entries must be received
    on or before January 31, 2010. Official entry forms and rules are
    available at http://saroyanprize.stanford.edu

    Michael A. Keller, Stanford University Librarian noted "We are
    excited to once again be awarding The Saroyan Prize. The Saroyan
    archive is a gem in the Libraries' Special Collections department
    and we are thrilled to be able to honor Saroyan's legacy through
    the award." Keller commented on the involvement of Stanford alumni
    in evaluating entries: "It has proven exciting to bring together a
    cadre of alumni for the winnowing process. We know that Stanford's
    alumni appreciate the opportunity for active and continued engagement
    with emerging literary figures, and we in turn are energized by their
    engagement and enthusiasm."

    The first William Saroyan International Prize for Writing was awarded
    in 2003 to Jonathan Safran Foer for his novel Everything is Illuminated
    (Houghton Mifflin, 2002). The second Saroyan Prize, awarded in 2005,
    was the first to be offered for both fiction and non-fiction. The
    fiction prize was awarded to George Hagenfor his novel The Laments
    (Random House, 2004), and the non-fiction prize went to Mark Arax and
    Rick Wartzman for The King of California (Public Affairs, 2005). The
    third Saroyan Prize, awarded in 2008, coincided with the centennial
    of Saroyan's birth. The fiction prize was awarded to Nicole Krauss,
    a Stanford alumna, for her novel The History of Love (W. W. Norton,
    2005). The non-fiction prize was awarded to Kiyo Sato for Dandelion
    Through the Crack (Willow Valley Press, 2007). The fiction finalists
    were Pamela Erens for The Understory (Ironweed Press, 2007) and
    Richard Lange for Dead Boys (Little, Brown, 2007). The non-fiction
    finalists were Adam David Miller for Ticket to Exile (Heyday Books,
    2007) and John Moir forReturn of the Condor (The Lyons Press, 2006).

    William Saroyan, an American writer and playwright, was a Pulitzer
    Prize and Academy Award winner best known for his short stories
    about humorous experiences of immigrant families and children in
    California. Much of Saroyan's other work is clearly autobiographical,
    although similar in style and technique to fiction. Saroyan was the
    fourth child of Armenian immigrants. He battled his way through
    poverty and rose to literary prominence in the early 1930s when
    national magazines began publishing his short stories, most notably
    The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze. Published collections
    of those stories include, My Name Is Aram, Inhale & Exhale, Three
    Times Three, and Peace, It's Wonderful. Saroyan also had success as a
    playwright on Broadway and a writer of screenplays in Hollywood. His
    notable successes include: My Heart's in the Highlands, The Time of
    Your Life, The Beautiful People, and The Human Comedy. The Time of
    Your Life was awarded the Pulitzer.

    Stanford University Libraries & Academic Information Resources supports
    the teaching, learning and research mandates of the University through
    delivery of bibliographic and other information resources and services
    to faculty, students and staff. It is tackling the challenges of
    the digital age while continuing the development, preservation and
    conservation of its extensive print, media and manuscript collections.

    The William Saroyan Foundation was founded by the author on December
    30, 1966 and remains active under a Board of Trustees. Commencing in
    1990, the Trustees set a goal of bringing together into one single
    archive his entire literary estate. A decision was finally made by the
    Trustees to offer Stanford University the assembled Saroyan Literary
    Collection with provisions that would safeguard in perpetuity one
    of the rare treasure troves in American literature, carrying on the
    legacy of Fresno, California's own native son, William Saroyan.
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