H.E. Francis Contest

2009 Competition Guidelines:

• Sponsored by: The Ruth Hindman Foundation and the UAHuntsville English Department.
• Judged by: A panel of nationally recognized, award-winning authors, directors of creative writing programs, and editors of literary journals.
• Award: $1000 prize
• Limitations: Manuscripts must be unpublished and may not exceed 5000 words in length. Multiple submissions are acceptable so long as we are notified immediately in the event that a manuscript is selected by another competition or publication.
• Deadline: December 31, 2009 (postmark)
• Tax-deductible Entry Fee: Check or money order for $15.00 for each submission, made out to the Ruth Hindman Foundation, a philanthropic institution which awards scholarships nationwide to undergraduate and graduate students.
• Format: All manuscripts must be free of any means of author identification. A cover sheet must accompany each submission. This cover sheet must indicate the title of the story, the author's name and address, and the approximate word count.
• Submission of entries: Mail submissions to Department of English, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899
A submission is complete when it includes all of the following:
1. Entry fee
2. Cover sheet
3. Three copies of the manuscript
4. If desired, SASE for announcement of winner
• Announcement of Winner: March 2010

Winners in 2008:

Jacob M. Appel, "The Vermin Episode"

Runners-Up:
Cary Groner, "The Meat Line"
Thomas Gough, "Eons. 1984"
Mary Ziegler, "The M Volume"
Kerleska Conerly, "Asphalt Country"

Click here for the press release.