The Roy W. Cowden Memorial Fellowship was established with contributions of Hopwood winners and other students of Professor Cowden, who was the Director of the Hopwood Prize Program from 1935 to 1952.  The Fellowship is awarded each year on the basis of demonstrated writing talent and demonstrated financial need (copies of loan, scholarship, or workstudy notifications must be presented).  Recipients must be University of Michigan undergraduates. Awards range from $1,000 to $2,500.

Each student must fill out an application form (download PDF) and submit a sample of his or her writing in the areas of drama, screenplay, nonfiction, fiction, or poetry.  The writing sample should consist of no more than 30 pages of prose and/or poetry.  Two copies of the writing sample and two copies of the application form are required.  Work may be submitted to the staff in the Hopwood Room at any time during the Fall semester and up to the contest deadline.  A contestant may win the Cowden Fellowship only once.  The same manuscript may be submitted in other fall and winter term contests administered by the Hopwood Program; prize-winning manuscripts may also be submitted in this contest.  Since  applicants for this contest receive need-based financial aid, we suggest delaying payment until the beginning of the spring term (May) so your award won’t alter your other financial aid allocation.  Please check “Delay Payment” on the entry blank.

The deadline for the Cowden Fellowship is the first Wednesday in December, by 12:00 noon—ABSOLUTELY NO LATER. The deadline will be enforced to the minute, so contestants are strongly urged to submit work early.

The winners of the Cowden Fellowship will be announced at the Hopwood Underclassmen Awards Ceremony in January.

For further information, inquire at the Hopwood Room, 1176 Angell Hall, or phone (734) 764-6296, or email Andrea Beauchamp at abeauch@umich.edu.

To download an application, please click here.

The Kasdan Scholarship in Creative Writing was established by University of Michigan graduates Lawrence and Meg Kasdan. The recipient of the award will be selected on the basis of excellence in the writing of screenplays or drama. The manuscripts will be judged by a U of M faculty member and a judge at the Kasdan Company.

The applicants must be currently enrolled graduate or undergraduate U of M students. Contestants may submit manuscripts in one of the areas of screenplay or drama. Preference will be given to the area of screenplay, all other considerations being equal. Screenplay and drama manuscripts must be at least 60 pages in length and only completed works, as opposed to works in progress, may be submitted. Each manuscript must be accompanied by an entry form (download PDF). The same manuscript may be submitted in the other fall and winter term contests administered by the Hopwood Program; prize-winning manuscripts may also be submitted in this contest.

The deadline for submission is the last Wednesday in January, NO LATER THAN 12:00 NOON, in the Hopwood Room, 1176 Angell Hall. Contestants may submit their manuscripts any time prior to the deadline and are urged to turn in their work early since the deadline will be enforced to the minute.

The winner of the Kasdan Scholarship will be announced at the April Hopwood Awards Ceremony. A prize of at least $6,000 will be awarded. A student who has won this competition may not enter it a second time. However, students are allowed to enter Kasdan manuscripts in certain other competitions: Hopwood Contests, the Arthur Miller Award, and the Roy W. Cowden Memorial Fellowship.

All manuscripts must be typed or printed on one side of the paper only, with a left-hand margin of at least 1½ inches. The paper should measure 8½ x 11 inches. Only two copies of the entry form and two copies of the manuscript should be submitted. The manuscript must be firmly bound in a durable two or three-hole cover. Samples of inexpensive, acceptable binders are on display in the Hopwood Room, and copy center binders also qualify. Thesis binders or ring binders cannot be accepted.

For further information, inquire at the Hopwood Room, 1176 Angell Hall, or phone (734) 764-6296, or email Andrea Beauchamp at abeauch@umich.edu.

To download an application, please click here.

The University of Michigan Club of New York has generously agreed to sponsor a scholarship award in honor of distinguished playwright and U of M graduate Arthur Miller. The contest is open to currently enrolled University of Michigan students, of sophomore or junior standing, who have demonstrated writing talent in the area of drama, screenplay, fiction, or poetry. Two letters of recommendation by faculty members (professors or teaching assistants) are required. These should be addressed to the Hopwood Committee and should be sent to the Hopwood Room, 1176 Angell Hall, in sufficient time to meet the contest deadline; letters sent by e-mail to abeauch@umich.edu are also acceptable. In addition, each applicant must submit two entry forms (download PDF) and two copies of a writing sample in one of the above areas. The manuscript should be typed on one side of the paper only, with a left-hand margin of at least one and one-half inches. The paper should measure 8 ½ x 11 inches. A computer printout is also acceptable. The manuscript should be firmly bound in a durable three hole cover. Samples of inexpensive, acceptable binders are on display in the Hopwood Room. The same manuscript may be submitted in the other fall and winter term contests administered by the Hopwood Program; prize-winning manuscripts may also be submitted in this contest.

A prize of $2,000 will be awarded once to an individual. The award will be given annually, but if no writer is deemed worthy by the faculty judge, the award will be accrued and presented the next year or when a worthy candidate is selected. A condition of the award is that it is to be used toward the student’s forthcoming tuition at the University of Michigan. The winner will also be presented with an autographed copy of Death of a Salesman.

The deadline for the contest is the last Wednesday in January, by 12:00 noon—ABSOLUTELY NO LATER. Contestants may submit their manuscripts any time prior to the deadline and are urged to turn in their work early since the deadline will be enforced to the minute.

The winner of the Arthur Miller Award will be announced at the April Hopwood Awards Ceremony.

For further information, inquire at the Hopwood Room, 1176 Angell Hall, or phone (734) 764-6296, or email Andrea Beauchamp at abeauch@umich.edu.

To download an application, please click here.