If you are interested in participating in the BYU Studies essay and poetry contests, please carefully read the following instructions. A large number of entries are immediately rejected because they do not follow these guidelines.
The BYU Studies writing contests are open to all serious writers except employees of BYU Studies, their immediate families, and members of the Editorial Board.
Authors who receive an award are not eligible to compete in that category during the next year’s contest but may enter the other category.
All submissions must be in English and written by the person who submits them.
The contest entry form opens on October 1, 2023. The contest deadline is January 31, 2024.
Judging will be blind. Contest submissions should not include the name of the author. The judges reserve the right to withhold any award if no entry merits the ratings established.
Judging begins once the contest deadline has passed and takes approximately two months, depending on the number of submissions. We notify all participants of the results by email.
Contest winners and finalists will be published in issues of BYU Studies Quarterly during the subsequent year. Prizes will be awarded as follows for both the poetry and essay contests in the following amounts:
First Place: $1,500
Second Place: $1,000
Third Place: $500
Entering a contest indicates that you agree to give BYU Studies the right of first refusal to publish your poem or essay. We do not accept work that has been published or is under consideration elsewhere, that has previously won any award from another contest, or that may be the property of another publisher. Do not simultaneously submit your poem or essay to our contests and to any other periodical or writing contest. Authors may not submit contest entries for consideration to any other contest or publication until BYU Studies contest results are announced. In most cases, poems and essays published in BYUSQ are chosen from contest entries.
Neither the name of the author nor any other identifying information should appear in the poems or essays themselves, including document headers and footers.
First: Weaving by Christine Bird
Second: To Make the Attempt by Isaac Richards
Third: Mary’s Assumption by Christopher Bissett
(In alphabetical order)
Forgiveness by Erik Jacobsen
One Day’s Return, Long Past Childhood by Dixie L. Partridge
Paul Sighs under House Arrest by James Goldberg
Stiff-Necked by Darlene Young
Thoughts, in Threes by Isaac Richards
What If I’d Not Been Raised to Know You? by Darlene Young
Winners will be announced soon!
First: Wild Fruit by Victoria Webb Rutherford
Second: Knit Together by Liz Busby
Third: Blessings for Jean by Heather Sundahl
(In alphabetical order)
The Baptismal Chair by Ellis William LeRoy, Jr.
The Dance by Michelle Forstrom
Hope on the Hill by Miranda Lotz
A Pillar of Light by Alex Arner
We ask those who wish to enter our essay contest to first read “Writing a Personal Essay for the BYU Studies Personal Essay Contest.” This information not only explains the basic concept and structure of the personal essay but will also help contributors understand the religious element that should be present in essays written for BYU Studies Quarterly. Do not, however, submit essays that teach doctrinal matters without the context of a personal narrative. We are not looking for sacrament meeting talks or doctrinal expositions.
You may also find it valuable to read some personal essays previously published in BYU Studies Quarterly. The following essays should illustrate both the general structure of a personal essay and the diversity this literary form permits:
An individual may submit up to three entries. Each entry must not exceed 3,000 words (roughly 10 double-spaced pages).
Poets may submit up to three poems for consideration. For publication formatting reasons, poems should not exceed thirty-five lines, not including the title but including lines between stanzas.
A wide variety of subject matter is encouraged. Religious themes are welcome, but not required.
We ask those who wish to enter our essay contest to first read “Writing a Personal Essay for the BYU Studies Personal Essay Contest.” This information not only explains the basic concept and structure of the personal essay but will also help contributors understand the religious element that should be present in essays written for BYU Studies Quarterly. Do not, however, submit essays that teach doctrinal matters without the context of a personal narrative. We are not looking for sacrament meeting talks or doctrinal expositions.
You may also find it valuable to read some personal essays previously published in BYU Studies Quarterly. The following essays should illustrate both the general structure of a personal essay and the diversity this literary form permits:
An individual may submit up to three entries. Each entry must not exceed 3,000 words (roughly 10 double-spaced pages).
Poets may submit up to three poems for consideration. For publication formatting reasons, poems should not exceed thirty-five lines, not including the title but including lines between stanzas.
A wide variety of subject matter is encouraged. Religious themes are welcome, but not required.
Please call the BYU Studies staff at (801) 422-6691 or send us an email: submissions@byu.edu.
Contests are currently closed.
We will begin accepting entries on October 1.
First: Weaving by Christine Bird
Second: To Make the Attempt by Isaac Richards
Third: Mary’s Assumption by Christopher Bissett
(In alphabetical order)
Forgiveness by Erik Jacobsen
One Day’s Return, Long Past Childhood by Dixie L. Partridge
Paul Sighs under House Arrest by James Goldberg
Stiff-Necked by Darlene Young
Thoughts, in Threes by Isaac Richards
What If I’d Not Been Raised to Know You? by Darlene Young
First: Wild Fruit by Victoria Webb Rutherford
Second: Knit Together by Liz Busby
Third: Blessings for Jean by Heather Sundahl
(In alphabetical order)
The Baptismal Chair by Ellis William LeRoy, Jr.
Hope on the Hill by Miranda Lotz
The Pillar of Light by Alex Arner
The Dance by Michelle Forstrom
