PRIZES

In addition to the contests, the Hopwood Program administers the following prizes:

The Chamberlain Award for Creative Writing
An award given in honor of the three Chamberlain sisters, Elinor, Margaret, and Dorothy, who were University of Michigan graduates in the 1920’s.  All three had careers in the field of writing and the oldest, Elinor, won a Hopwood Fiction Award in 1951.  The $3,000 award is given to an MFA student who has demonstrated excellence in the writing of short fiction.

The Helen J. Daniels Prize
A $1,000 award donated by Professor Marilynn M. Rosenthal, who wrote: “When I won my Hopwood (1970) in the Major Essay division, I used a pseudonym composed of my three children's first names, Helen J. Daniels.  I am delighted to name this undergraduate essay prize for them. Excellent essay writing is of vital importance in a world troubled with dis- and mis-information and the political manipulation of language. It is a special pleasure to recognize and reward young essayists at the University of Michigan.”  The prize is at the undergraduate level.

The Geoffrey James Gosling Prize
A $750 prize donated by Mrs. Enid M. Gosling to recognize merit in the novel division.  The prize is in memory of her son.

The Paul and Sonia Handleman Poetry Award
A $2,500 prize given to an undergraduate who has demonstrated excellence in the writing of poetry in the Romantic tradition.  The family notes that this award “honors the memory of a husband and wife who for the nearly fifty years of their loving relationship shared a fascination for poetry—especially the verse of the English Romanticists.  An appreciation of these great poems served to cement their bond, and it uplifted their spirits by infusing them with a sense of the nobility, the magnificence, the glory that are within reach of humankind.”

The Robert F. Haugh Prize
Donated by Georgia C. Haugh and the family and friends of Professor Robert F. Haugh, the $2,500 prize is awarded to an exceptional writer of short fiction at the undergraduate level.  Professor Haugh was the recipient of a 1947 Hopwood Major Fiction Award and was Director of the Hopwood Awards Program from 1965-1972.

The Dennis McIntyre Prize for Distinction in Undergraduate Playwriting
Established in 1990 by the family, friends, and former students of playwright, screenwriter, and Hopwood Award winner Dennis McIntyre, the $2,500 prizes honor excellence in undergraduate playwriting.

The Meader Family Award
Established by the late Hon. George Meader, his family and friends, the prize recognizes merit in the writing of poetry at the graduate level.   Mr. Meader was a Republican member of Congress from 1950 to 1964 and worked as an attorney in Ann Arbor and Washington, D.C.  The award is also in honor of his daughter, Barbara Ellen Meader, and his wife, Elizabeth Barbara Meader.  Two or three prizes totaling over $5,000 are presented each year.

The Roy and Helen Meador Writing Award
This award has been established by Helen Meador in memory of her husband, Roy Meador, who was a writer and bibliophile.  Roy was a commercial/science writer for many years in Ann Arbor.  He was also a freelance writer and antiquarian who wrote several books, many short stories, and frequent letters to the editor. Roy Meador turned to his hobby for inspiration when he wrote “Book Row,” a history of the antiquarian book trade in New York City.  The award is given each year on the basis of demonstrated writing talent and demonstrated financial need.  Recipients must be University of Michigan undergraduates.  Awards are for $1,000.

The Leonard and Eileen Newman Writing Prizes
Two prizes of $1,000 established by Leonard and Eileen Newman to honor excellence in dramatic writing and fiction.  The prize in dramatic writing is administered by the Department of Screen Arts and Cultures.

The Naomi Saferstein Literary Award
An award of $1,200 to an undergraduate writer of drama or screenplay.  The prize was donated by Mrs. Irene Miller and friends and family of Naomi Saferstein, who won Hopwood Awards in the drama division in 1986 and 1987. 

The Stanley S. Schwartz Prize
A $500 award in the undergraduate short fiction division donated by Ann Arbor novelist Steven Gillis in memory of his father.   Mr. Gillis notes t hat "Stanley Schwartz came to the University of Michigan in 1947 to study English and Creative Writing.  A track star for the U of M, Stan ran the quarter mile on the University of Michigan's then record setting middle distance relay team at the Milrose Games.  Graduating with honors, he attended the U of M Law School, and went on to become one of the country's most successful and influential attorneys.  As the founding partner in Sommers, Schwartz, Silver and Schwartz, Stan blazed the trail for birth trauma litigation, authoring several books while devoting himself to protecting the interests of aggrieved parents.”

The Andrea Beauchamp Prize, Helen S. and John Wagner Prize, and John Wagner Prize
Endowed by Professor John Wagner, the $900 prizes reward distinction in the writing of short fiction, poetry, and nonfiction at the graduate level.