Subnivean, a magazine read around the globe and staffed by SUNY Oswego undergraduates, is now offering the second annual New Writers Award.
This literary competition will recognize five of Central New York’s most skilled young writers, granting one a $1,000 scholarship to attend SUNY Oswego as a creative writing or English major. It is open to high school students living in the seven-county region of Oswego County, Onondaga County, Oneida County, Herkimer County, Madison County, Cayuga County and Cortland County.
“The winner will be publicly announced in early 2024,” said professor Soma Mei Sheng Frazier, who teaches the creative writing class that staffs the magazine, “at an on-campus, public event our community is already buzzing about.” Frazier explained that last year’s event — a literary reading by the finalists and winner, followed by the prize announcement — was packed, and the young finalists’ extended family members traveled from as far as Florida to attend.
Brooklyn Saternow, who won the 2022-23 competition, saw her poetry published in Subnivean this year alongside the work of established, award-winning authors. Beyond the $1,000 scholarship, which was made possible by a grant from the Shineman Endowed Fund @ SUNY Oswego, she won a $100 bookstore gift certificate. Saternow and each of the finalists also received two mentorship sessions from an award-winning author, as well as blurbs about their writing to enhance their college or job applications.
The magazine will usher the winner and finalists into a thriving network: at last count, Subnivean reported receiving manuscripts from authors living in 55 countries and all but one U.S. state.
“We’re eager to discover five masterful new writers and welcome them into the regional and international literary communities,” Frazier said. “This month, our undergraduate staff will hold information sessions for Central New York high school students, teachers and librarians — and begin poring over the submitted manuscripts.”
Subnivean’s undergraduate staff asks anybody who knows a young, aspiring writer living in this region, or who is interested in helping to spread the word, to consider sharing this opportunity.
Scholarship competition deadline is Dec. 15, 2023
To learn more about the scholarship competition, visit Subnivean’s website or sign up for an information session.