Veterans Writing Award
Call for Submissions [PDF]
In keeping with Syracuse University’s longstanding commitment to serving the interests of veterans and their families, Syracuse University Press, in cooperation with the Insti¬tute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), established the Veterans Writing Award in 2019. The mission of the Veterans Writing Award is to recognize the contributions of veterans to the literary arts, shine a light on the multivalent veteran experience, and provide a platform for unrecognized military writers.
We invite unpublished, full-length manuscripts for consideration. This biennial contest alternates between fiction and nonfiction each award cycle, with the 2025 award open to novels and short story collections. The award is open to U.S. veterans and active duty personnel in any branch of the U.S. military and their immediate family members. This includes spouses, domestic partners, siblings, parents, and children. We encourage women veteran writers, veterans of color, Native American veterans, LGBTQ veterans, and those who identify as having a disability to submit. Although work submitted for the contest need not be about direct military experience, we seek original voices and fresh perspectives that will expand and challenge readers’ understanding of the lives of veterans and their families. Posthumous submissions are eligible.
Finalists will be read by writer and veteran of the United States Marine Corps Maurice Decaul, and the winning entry will be announced in November of 2025.
Maurice Decaul is an accomplished writer, poet, essayist, and playwright whose work has been profoundly shaped by his experiences as a U.S. Marine. He holds a BA in creative writing from Columbia University and dual MFAs—one in poetry from New York University and another in theatre from Brown University. Decaul’s productions have been showcased at prominent venues such as Syracuse Stage, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and the Gammage Theatre at Arizona State University among others.
The award includes a $1,000 cash prize and a publication contract with Syracuse University Press. Manuscripts of high merit not selected for the final award may receive honorable mention.
Read more about the Veterans Writing Award and submission guidelines.
Advisory Board
- Kyle Bass
Assistant Professor of Theater, Colgate University, Resident Playwright, Syracuse Stage - Christopher Kennedy
Professor, English Department, and Director, MFA in Creative Writing Program - Eileen Schell
Professor, Writing and Rhetoric, Director of Graduate Studies and Co-leader of the Syracuse Veterans’ Writing Group - Kicia Sears
Principal Data and Research Associate at Center for Justice Innovation - Charlie Poag
Communications Manager, D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University - Suzanne Guiod
Director, Bucknell University Press - Lisa Kuerbis
Marketing and Sales Manager, Syracuse University Press