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Scholarships

The National Writers Series awards multiple scholarships each year to high school students in the Grand Traverse region in partnership with the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation.

Awards

It is the goal of the National Writers Series, with the support of the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation, to annually award $4,000 in scholarships in the categories of poetry, fiction, non-fiction and journalism ($1,000 each). In addition, winners will have their work published in the NWS Literary Journal. All winners will be contacted by the Community Foundation and the National Writers Series scholarship committee and be recognized at an NWS author event.

Eligibility

Eligible writers must be an 11th or 12th graders with permanent residential addresses in Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, or Leelanau County; and attend public, parochial, private, or home school.

Submission Guidelines

Students may submit in only one category. Applicants must complete an online application and submit a manuscript. Manuscripts do not need to be written solely for this application, but can be pieces used in classes or other writing ventures.

Because applications are judged anonymously, no identifying information should be in the manuscript. Please include a title page containing only the title of the poetry collection or prose piece, also indicating whether the prose is non-fiction, journalism, or fiction.

For full details, go here.  Entries will be accepted beginning January 15, 2024. Deadline is midnight on March 1, 2024.

Judging

Manuscripts will be read in March by the National Writers Series scholarship committee, comprised of specialists in the genres they are judging. All Front Street Writer applicants and winners agree to publication in the NWS Literary Journal. Students retain full copyright to their materials.

2023 Scholarship Winners

William R. Montgomery Fiction Award:
Lucy Ettawageshik, “The Moon And Back”
12th grade
Homeschool
Judith Lang Journalism Award:
Kristen May, “Finding Refuge”
11th grade
Traverse City Central High School
Leslie Lee Nonfiction Award:
Taqwa Totakhail, “Dreams of Home”
11th grade
Traverse City West High School
Robert & Marcy Branski Poetry Award:
Elijah Pszczolkowski, “Ghazal With Bubblegum and Buzzing Downward Thought SpiralsWith lyrics from Marina”
12th grade
Central High School

Past Winners | 2022 Scholarship Winners

Each of the 2022 winners was awarded $1,000. The winners’ pieces were published in the NWS Literary Journal.

Past Winners | 2021 Scholarship Winners

Each of the 2021 winners was awarded $1,000. The winners’ pieces were published in the NWS Literary Journal.

  • Poetry: Kallie Crouch, Mancelona High School
  • Fiction: Sonja Daniels-Moehle, Homeschool
  • Nonfiction: Brooke Essenberg, Ellsworth Community Schools
  • Journalism: Deucalion Shetler, North Central Academy

Past Winners | 2020 Scholarship Winners

Each of the 2020 winners was awarded $1,000. The winners’ pieces were published in the NWS Literary Journal.

  • Poetry: Athena Gillespie, Traverse City St. Francis
  • Fiction: McKenna Landrum, Starlight Grand Traverse Academy
  • Nonfiction: Erin Evans, Bellaire High School
  • Creative Writing: Olivia Johnson, Interlochen Center for the Arts

Past Winners | 2019 Scholarship Winners

Each of the 2019 winners was awarded $1,000. The winners’ pieces were published in the NWS Literary Journal.

  • Poetry:  Molly Stadler,  Grand Traverse Academy
  • Fiction:  Abby Riffel,  Elk Rapids High School
  • Nonfiction: Seth Kirby, Interlochen Arts Academy

Past Winners | 2018 Scholarship Winners

The 2018 Scholarship Awards were presented on April 25 by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Eileen McNamara. Each of the winners was awarded $1,000. The winners’ pieces were reprinted and published for the audience.

  • Poetry:  Hannah Riffell, Elk Rapids High School, a Front Street Writers student
  • Fiction:  Cole Simon,  Traverse City West High School
  • Nonfiction: Madelynne Gregory, St. Mary’s Lake Leelanau, a Front Street Writers student

Past Winners | 2017 Scholarship Winners

The 2017 Scholarship Awards were presented on May 5 by Pulitzer Prize winning novelist Elizabeth Strout..  Each of the winners was awarded $1,000.  Amanda Dow gave a reading from her winning fiction entry.

  • Poetry:  Hope Rahn, Glen Lake High School, a Front Street Writers student
  • Fiction:  Amanda Dow, St. Francis High School, a Front Street Writers student
  • Nonfiction: Makala O’Donnell, Traverse City Central High School, a Front Street Writers student

Past Winners | 2016 Scholarship Winners

The 2016 Scholarship Awards were presented on April 6 by New York Times bestselling mystery author Laurie King and Doug Stanton.  Each of the winners was awarded $1,000. Abigail Crick gave a reading from her winning nonfiction entry.

  • Poetry:  Anais Mohr, Traverse City Central High School, a Front Street Writers student
  • Fiction:  Emily Ross, Traverse City Central High School, a Front Street Writers student
  • Nonfiction: Abigail Crick, Traverse City Central High School, a Front Street Writers student

Past Winners | 2015 Scholarship Winners

The 2015 Scholarship Awards were presented on June 2, 2015 by Doug Stanton Jeff Shaara, author of several Civil War books, including his newest, The Fateful Lightning.  Each of the winners was awarded $1,000. Sebastian Wentworth gave a reading from his winning poetry entry.

  • Poetry:  Sebastian Wentworth, Traverse City West, a Front Street Writers student
  • Fiction:  Allison Shumate, Traverse City Central High School, a Front Street Writers student
  • Nonfiction: Anais Mohr, Traverse City Central High School, a Front Street Writers student

Past Winners | 2014 Scholarship Winners

The 2014 Scholarship Awards were presented on April 8, 2014, by Doug Stanton, Steve Luxenberg (author the 2013/14 Great Michigan Read book Annie’s Ghosts) and Mardi Link (author of Bootstrapper, When Evil Came to Good Hart, and Isadore’s Secret) at the City Opera House.

  • Poetry: Plain Jane Glory by Paige Emerson, Glen Lake High School
  • Fiction: Unpopular Colors by Clara Trippe, Traverse City Central High School, a Front Street Writers student
  • Nonfiction: Shattered by London Rauch, Traverse City Central High School

Past Winners | 2013 Scholarship Winners

The 2013 Scholarship Awards were presented on May 22, 2013 during “An Evening in Conversation with Jason Matthews” at the City Opera House.  Each of the winners were congratulated on stage by Jason Matthews and Doug Stanton (NWS co-founder and New York Times bestselling author). In addition, the students each gave a reading from their their winning submissions.

  • Poetry: The Door by Adelaide Dolan, Traverse City West High School
  • Fiction: Looking Toward the Sun by Quiana Pershinske, Traverse City West High School
  • Nonfiction: Trinity by Callie Chappell, Traverse City Central High School

Past Winners | 2012 Scholarship Winners

The 2012 Scholarship Awards were presented on May 14, 2012 during ‘An Evening in Conversation with Anna Quindlen’ at the City Opera House.  Each of the winners were congratulated on stage by Anna Quindlen, Susan Casey (event guest host and then editor-in-chief for O, The Oprah Magazine), and Doug Stanton (NWS co-founder and New York Times bestselling author).

  • Poetry: A Calendar of Leaving by Emily Hittner-Cunningham, Interlochen Arts Academy
  • Fiction: The Intimacy of an Unmade Bed by Kelly Clare, Interlochen Arts Academy
  • Nonfiction: A Terrible Beauty by Whitney Hubbell, Elk Rapids High School

Past Winners | 2011 Scholarship Winners

The 2011 Scholarship Awards were presented by Doug Stanton and Michael Delp on April 28, 2011 during ‘An Evening with Made in Michigan’ at the City Opera House.

  • Poetry: Treespeak by Kelly Clare, Interlochen Arts Academy, senior, 2010-2011 school year
  • Fiction: Angle of Entry by Abigail Woughter, TC Central High School graduate, 2011. Woughter will attending Cornell University in fall 2011.
  • Nonfiction: Trailers and Tadpoles by Leah Jodoin, TC Central High School graduate, 2011. Jodoin will be attending Western Michigan University in fall 2011.

2010 Scholarship Winners

The Inaugural Scholarship Awards were presented by NWS guest and best-selling author, James Bradley, at the City Opera House in September 2010.

  • Poetry: We Wake Up by Emily Pittinos, Interlochen Arts Academy graduate, 2010. Pittinos currently attends University of Michigan.
  • Fiction: The Werewolf’s Addiction by Michael Russell, TC Central High School graduate, 2010. Russell currently attends Northwestern Michigan College.
  • Nonfiction: Paper Dragons by Abigail Woughter, TC Central High School junior, entering her senior year in the fall of 2010.

Excerpts of the 2010 winning entries can be found in the Dunes Review, published by Michigan Writers.

Scholarship Winners