The Wisconsin Writers Awards started as a program of the Council for Wisconsin Writers (CWW) in 1964. The awards honor the best work in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Since 2022, Arts & Literature Laboratory has continued the work of CWW by administering the Wisconsin Writers Awards.
First-place winners in book categories receive $1000 cash prizes and first-place winners in short form contests win $500. All winners and honorable mentions receive a writing residency.
The Wisconsin Writers Awards are sponsored in part by Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts and the Ernest Hüpeden's Painted Forest which provide residencies to the winning writers.
Please note that these awards are not affiliated with the Wisconsin Writers Association (but if you are a Wisconsin writer, you should definitely check out their progams!).
General guidelines, including entry fees, deadlines, and award information.
The Edna Ferber Fiction Book Award is a prize of $1,000 given to the best fiction book published by a Wisconsin writer in the contest year. This year's judge is Gabriela Garcia.
The Norbert Blei/August Derleth Nonfiction Book Award is a prize of $1,000 given to the best nonfiction book published by a Wisconsin writer in the contest year. This year's judge is Angela Palm Hopkins.
The Edna Meudt Poetry Book Award is a prize of $1,000 given to the best book of poems published by a Wisconsin writer in the contest year. This year's judge is Cortney Lamar Charleston.
The Kay W. Levin Award for Short Nonfiction is a prize of $500, awarded for the best piece of short nonfiction published by a Wisconsin writer in the contest year. This year's judge is Lena Crown.
The Zona Gale Award for Short Fiction is a prize of $500 awarded for the best piece of short fiction published by a Wisconsin writer in the contest year. This year's judge is Suzanne Rivecca.
The Lorine Niedecker Poetry Award is a prize of $500 awarded for a group of poems, at least one of which must be published in the contest year. This year's judge is Hua Xi.
This contest is inactive. The Arthur Tofte/Betty Ren Wright Children’s Book Award was a prize of $1,000 given to the best children’s book published by a Wisconsin writer in the contest year.