Submissions Now Open for 2022 Joyce Carol Oates Prize
OAKLAND, CA—The New Literary Project is pleased to announce that submissions are open for its 2022 Joyce Carol Oates Prize. The Prize annually honors a mid-career author of fiction who has earned a distinguished reputation and the widespread approbation and gratitude of readers. The New Literary Project, formerly known as the Simpson Literary Project, inspires and equips writers across the generations—in the words of Joyce Carol Oates—to “write their hearts out.”
The Prize recognizes emerged and continually emerging authors of major consequence—short stories and/or novels—at the relatively middle stage of a burgeoning career. Prize winners receive a $50,000 award to encourage and support forthcoming work. The Prize is administered by the New Literary Project, which appreciates the trust of generous individuals as well as altruistic family foundations and corporate donors who subscribe to its vision and sustain its multifaceted programs.
The Joyce Carol Oates Prize is named for the eminent author, who serves as an honorary member of the Project’s Board of Directors, and who has previously served as Simpson Project Writer-in-Residence at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center. In naming the Prize, the Project gratefully acknowledges her inspiring lifelong impact as a teacher and writer without peer, a writer beloved for generations by legions of students, writers, and readers around the country and the world. She embodies the Project’s most deeply held commitments to literature, literacy, and arts education.
The New Literary Project was established in 2016, and partners with the University of California, Berkeley, English Department. The Project fosters new literature, supports authors, and enhances the lives of readers, writers, educators, librarians, and students in diverse communities in California and the nation. The Project offers high school- age writers Simpson Writing Workshops at no cost, led by Simpson Fellows, UC Berkeley graduate student creative writing teachers; this year workshops are expected to take place at Contra Costa County Juvenile Hall, Girls Inc. Alameda County, Northgate High School, and elsewhere. In addition, the Project causes to be published an internationally distributed annual anthology of Project-related artists, including Prize winners and finalists along with younger writers appearing in print for the first time. Simpsonistas: Tales from the Simpson Literary Project Vol. 3 (Rare Bird) appeared in Winter 2021.
General Submission Process for Joyce Carol Oates Prize
● Publishers, editors, agents, publicists, marketers, and authors themselves may complete the online entry form and submit associated submission fees by end of day Pacific Time on October 15, 2021.
● $35 entry fee for each submission of a mid-career author: an author with at least two published books of fiction (novels and/or short stories) and who has yet to garner capstone recognition (such as a Pulitzer Prize, NBA, or a MacArthur)—that is, an author who is in the relatively middle stage of a burgeoning career. Accepted forms of payment include credit card and PayPal. (No checks permitted.) Please be prepared with payment information before you begin the online submission process.
● Submissions deemed ineligible by the Project will still be subject to the stated entry fee.
● At any time, NLP may invite submissions through the Project office that have not been suggested by publishers, agents, publicists, marketers, or authors.
● Each submission must list one person to coordinate all Joyce Carol Oates Prize–related matters with the Project throughout the Prize process. This person will be contacted in the case that an author becomes part of the Longlist or the subsequent Shortlist.
● Author must be made aware of and consent to their entry for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize.
Longlist, Shortlist, and Winner Announcements
● Around October 18, 2021, the New Literary Project will request physical books and additional information for authors identified for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize Longlist. Please do not send physical books or any additional information or materials unless specifically requested. Longlist books and materials must then be delivered no later than November 5, 2021 to remain eligible—at an address to be identified.
The 2022 Joyce Carol Oates Prize Longlist to be announced on or before December 1, 2021.
● The 2022 Joyce Carol Oates Prize Shortlist to be announced around March 2022.
● The 2022 Joyce Carol Oates Prize Winner to be announced around April 2022.
Prize Winner Guidelines
● The 2022 Joyce Carol Oates Prize Winner will be awarded $50,000 in recognition of their mid-career literary achievements and their future promise.
● The Winner will be available to collaborate with New Literary Project, sponsors, and the University of California, Berkeley, English Department on New Literary Project–related engagements during the Prize year.
Previous Prize Winners are expected to continue engagements with the New Literary Project:
2017 T. Geronimo Johnson, author of Welcome to Braggsville (HarperCollins)
2018 Anthony Marra, author of The Tsar of Love and Techno (Hogarth)
2019 Laila Lalami, author of The Other Americans (Pantheon)
2020 Daniel Mason, author of The Winter Soldier (Little, Brown)
2021 Danielle Evans, author of The Office of Historical Corrections (Riverhead)
For more information, please contact:
Diane Del Signore, Executive Director, (510) 919-0970
https://www.newliteraryproject.org/