WILLIAM SAROYAN PRIZE CALLS FOR ENTRIES
Authorlink
Sept 16 2009
(Authorlink News, September 17, 2009)–Stanford University Libraries,
in partnership with the William Saroyan Foundation, announced has
launched the fourth William Saroyan International Prize for Writing
(Saroyan Prize). Intended to encourage new or emerging writers
and honor the Saroyan literary legacy of originality, vitality and
stylistic innovation, the Saroyan Prize recognizes newly published
works of both fiction and non-fiction. A prize of $5,000 will be
awarded in each of these categories.
Literary fiction, including novels, short story collections,
and drama, will be eligible for consideration for the Saroyan
Fiction Prize. Literary non-fiction of any length is eligible for
consideration for the SaroyanNon-fiction Prize, most particularly
writing in the Saroyan tradition: memoirs, portraits and excursions
into neighborhood and community. Entries in either category are
limited to English language publications that are available for
individual purchase by the general public. Entries must be received
on or before January 31, 2010. Official entry forms and rules are
available at
Michael A. Keller, Stanford University Librarian noted "We are
excited to once again be awarding The Saroyan Prize. The Saroyan
archive is a gem in the Libraries’ Special Collections department
and we are thrilled to be able to honor Saroyan’s legacy through
the award." Keller commented on the involvement of Stanford alumni
in evaluating entries: "It has proven exciting to bring together a
cadre of alumni for the winnowing process. We know that Stanford’s
alumni appreciate the opportunity for active and continued engagement
with emerging literary figures, and we in turn are energized by their
engagement and enthusiasm."
The first William Saroyan International Prize for Writing was awarded
in 2003 to Jonathan Safran Foer for his novel Everything is Illuminated
(Houghton Mifflin, 2002). The second Saroyan Prize, awarded in 2005,
was the first to be offered for both fiction and non-fiction. The
fiction prize was awarded to George Hagenfor his novel The Laments
(Random House, 2004), and the non-fiction prize went to Mark Arax and
Rick Wartzman for The King of California (Public Affairs, 2005). The
third Saroyan Prize, awarded in 2008, coincided with the centennial
of Saroyan’s birth. The fiction prize was awarded to Nicole Krauss,
a Stanford alumna, for her novel The History of Love (W. W. Norton,
2005). The non-fiction prize was awarded to Kiyo Sato for Dandelion
Through the Crack (Willow Valley Press, 2007). The fiction finalists
were Pamela Erens for The Understory (Ironweed Press, 2007) and
Richard Lange for Dead Boys (Little, Brown, 2007). The non-fiction
finalists were Adam David Miller for Ticket to Exile (Heyday Books,
2007) and John Moir forReturn of the Condor (The Lyons Press, 2006).
William Saroyan, an American writer and playwright, was a Pulitzer
Prize and Academy Award winner best known for his short stories
about humorous experiences of immigrant families and children in
California. Much of Saroyan’s other work is clearly autobiographical,
although similar in style and technique to fiction. Saroyan was the
fourth child of Armenian immigrants. He battled his way through
poverty and rose to literary prominence in the early 1930s when
national magazines began publishing his short stories, most notably
The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze. Published collections
of those stories include, My Name Is Aram, Inhale & Exhale, Three
Times Three, and Peace, It’s Wonderful. Saroyan also had success as a
playwright on Broadway and a writer of screenplays in Hollywood. His
notable successes include: My Heart’s in the Highlands, The Time of
Your Life, The Beautiful People, and The Human Comedy. The Time of
Your Life was awarded the Pulitzer.
Stanford University Libraries & Academic Information Resources supports
the teaching, learning and research mandates of the University through
delivery of bibliographic and other information resources and services
to faculty, students and staff. It is tackling the challenges of
the digital age while continuing the development, preservation and
conservation of its extensive print, media and manuscript collections.
The William Saroyan Foundation was founded by the author on December
30, 1966 and remains active under a Board of Trustees. Commencing in
1990, the Trustees set a goal of bringing together into one single
archive his entire literary estate. A decision was finally made by the
Trustees to offer Stanford University the assembled Saroyan Literary
Collection with provisions that would safeguard in perpetuity one
of the rare treasure troves in American literature, carrying on the
legacy of Fresno, California’s own native son, William Saroyan.