Undergraduate Writing Award Winners Announced

04/29/2021

The Saint Louis University Library Associates have announced the winners of the 2021 Undergraduate Writing Award. The award was inaugurated in 2014 and has now completed its seventh round.

This year’s genre was short fiction. The first prize with an award of $500 went to Khadidja Djebairia for her story “Coffee.” Khadidja is the first winner from the Madrid Campus.

The second prize, and an award of $300, went to Lydia Estrada for her story "12:32." An Encouragement Award was given to Marcus Lespasio for “The Flame’s Cold Light.”

Their works are available online in the Spring issue of the undergraduate literary journal Kiln.

The Undergraduate Writing Award rotates annually between short fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Next year’s prize will be awarded for poetry.

Details of the 2022 cycle, including submission requirements and timeline, will be posted in the fall semester on the Undergraduate Writing Award website. The mission of the Library Associates is to enhance the visibility of the Saint Louis University Libraries and to support the development of their world-class collections and services.

The organization also sponsors literary and cultural events, including the prestigious St. Louis Literary Award, first presented in 1967 and given annually to a distinguished figure in literature.