Honors and Awards     Each year, students in the English Department are honored for their hard work in scholarly and creative fields through nominations, competitions, and invitations to honor societies.
	ACI Humanities Fellowship recipients meet Margaret Atwood

HONORS

Sigma Tau Delta

Research Honors

AWARDS

Academy of American Poets Prize

    The Arthur William Hinners Poetry Prize, presented by The Academy of American Poets, was first awarded in 1979.  Previous recipients include Sandra Steingraber, who went on to become a celebrated writer-biologist.

    This is a cash prize of $100 for the winner, with honorable mention certificates also awarded. The Academy of American Poets sponsors these annual contests in over 150 American colleges and universities. Winning poems are eligible for publication by the Academy. Student poets submit portfolios of two to ten original poems to judges in the English department.

Babbitt's Prize for Short Fiction

    Begun in 1997 as the Clockwatch Review Prize for Short Fiction, the contest for IWU fiction writers has been sponsored by Babbitt’s Books since 2001. IWU alum Brian Simpson owns the store at 104 North St., in Normal, which has become a popular hangout for local writers, professors, and students from Illinois Wesleyan and Illinois State University.

    This is a cash prize of $100 for the winner, with an honorable mention also awarded. Manuscripts must be original, unpublished, and no longer than 12 pages. Stories should be typed or computer-printed in 12-point Times and submitted stapled and unfolded in an 8 ½ x 11” envelope to the English House. Deadline TBA. 

President's Club Senior Writing Award

    Graduating seniors compete for a cash award by submitting to the English department a portfolio of the best, most original writing they have done while at Illinois Wesleyan. Included in the portfolio may be any or all of the following: fiction, drama, poetry, journalism, exceptional course papers. Judging is by a committee of English department faculty; the winner is announced by the President during the graduation ceremony.

Illinois College Press Association Award

    Illinois Wesleyan University is a charter member of the Illinois College Press Association, which annually honors the best work by Illinois college journalists. Each year, students working for The Argus have a chance at being nominated for their writing, photography, editing and layout, ad design, and headline writing.  The Argus itself has placed among the top publications in its class 12 out of the last 19 years.