Sophie Kerr Prize
In accordance with the terms of Sophie Kerr's will, half of the annual income from her bequest to the College is awarded each year to the graduating senior demonstrating the best potential for future achievement in a literary endeavor. Valued at more than $75,000 today, it remains the nation's largest undergraduate literary prize—more than the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award combined.
The Sophie Kerr Prize is not limited to English majors or creative writing minors. However, all portfolios presented for consideration should have a literary focus.
Each year, the Sophie Kerr committee—consisting of the English department faculty and the College president—confer to choose finalists for the prize and one winner. Finalists are invited to the Sophie Kerr ceremony, where they will read from their work. The prize winner will be announced at the ceremony.
Prize Guidelines
Graduating seniors who plan to present a portfolio for the Sophie Kerr Prize should adhere their submission to the following guidelines
- A coversheet that includes the date, your name, a current contact phone number.
- A table of contents.
- The Honor Code Statement
- An introduction. The introduction can take many forms; it may be a straightforward presentation of the materials included in the portfolio, an explanation of your development as a writer, or it may be a more creative document that discusses the portfolio in a nonlinear, imagistic way. Whatever approach you choose, try to create an introduction that addresses or embodies your strengths as a writer.
Include examples of your strongest writing. These may be critical essays, creative nonfiction, poetry, fiction, journalism, stage plays, screenplays, blogging, graphic novels, or other hybrid forms.
The Sophie Kerr Prize is awarded to the student who has “the best ability and promise for future fulfillment in the field of literary endeavor.” It is not a creative writing prize. Therefore, if your strength as a writer lies outside of creative writing, you should not feel compelled to submit creative work. Select writing that demonstrates your potential to contribute to “the field of literary endeavor.”
Some previous prize-winners have submitted portfolios whose strength lies in their ability to work in many different genres. Other prize-winners have won based on highly focused portfolios which demonstrate their skill in one, particular genre. Construct a portfolio that contains your strongest work, whether your work falls into many literary genres or into only one.
Work chosen for inclusion in the portfolio should be considered and arranged with careful deliberation. The demonstration of the breadth and depth of the writer's “promise for future success in the literary endeavor” should be evident not only in the individual pieces presented, but in their choice and arrangement. Portfolios should be complete in their demonstration of promise, but it should be noted that quantity by itself does not contribute to quality. The length of the portfolio, then, is a consideration when, in the judgment of the committee, the presentation of more material than is judged necessary weakens rather than strengthens the overall value of the portfolio.
Successful portfolios have contained as few as 25 pages.
In preparation for the announcements of the finalists and eventual winner of the Sophie Kerr Prize, the Office of Marketing and Communications needs a brief biographical statement from all applicants. Please include the following essentials in paragraph form using the pronouns you wish to have on the press releases and programs.
- Name
- Cell phone number
- Major(s)
- Minor(s)
- Hometown and state
- Honors/activities
- Portfolio description
- Plans after graduation (if known)
Sample: J. Smith, an English major from Baltimore, served as president of the Writers' Union, was on the sailing team, and achieved distinction as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Their writing portfolio includes a collection of personal essays and short stories, many focused on athletics and family history. After graduation, Smith plans to intern for Sports Illustrated.
- All writing pieces should be collected into a single Word document, and placed in their proper order as listed in the table of contents. (Ideally, the portfolio will be in Word. Students including images may use PDFs, if necessary.)
- The biographical statement should be submitted as a separate Word document.
- Insert page numbers in the portfolio itself (but no page number on the cover sheet).
- Spell-check and proofread portfolios carefully before submission.
- Submit a complete electronic copy (final version) of your portfolio, along with your biographical statement, to englishdptFREEwashcoll
- Send this by e-mail attachment no later than Friday, April 18th, 2025 at 5:00 p.m.
- All students will receive an email acknowledging receipt of the submission. Students selected as finalists will be contacted on Monday, May 12, 2025 after the Committee has met. (Students who were not selected as finalists will receive an email to that effect after all finalists have been contacted.) A public announcement of the finalists will be made later that day. The Prize Ceremony will be held in the evening of Friday, May 16, 2025.
- Any questions can be addressed to Heather MacLeann (hmacleannan2FREEwashcoll), administrative assistant
Past Winners
The most recent winner of the Sophie Kerr Prize was Sky Abruzzo '25, whose portfolio submission showcased creative and reflective writings exploring the interconnectedness of humans and the natural world. Watch Abruzzo read from her portfolio below.
- Sky Abruzzo '25
- Sophie Foster '24
- Eylie Blue Sasajima '23
- Teddy L. Friedline '22
- Justin Nash '21
- Mary Sprague '20
- Shannon Moran '19
- Caroline Harvey '18
- Catalina Righter '17
- Reilly Cox '16
- Alexander Vidiani '15
- Alex Stinton '14
- Tim Marcin '13
- Katie Manion '12
- Lisa Jones '11
- Hailey Reissman '10
- Will Bruce '09
- Emma Sovich '08
- Liam Daley '07
- Marshall Shord '06
- Claire Tomkin '05
- Angela Haley '04
- Laura Walter '03
- Sarah Blackman '02
- Stephanie Fowler '01
- Christine Lincoln '00
- Luke Owens '99
- Ed Geisweidt '98
- Brandon Hopkins '97
- Jennifer Ronald '96
- Katherine Degentesh '95
- Tanya Angell Allen '94
- Erin Page '93
- Patrick Attenasio '92
- Robert Thompson '91
- Harvey Roland Hammer '90
- Michele Balze '89
- Dean Hebert '88
- Sue De Pasquale '87
- Douglas Rose '86
- Dr. Sandra Hiortdahl '85
- Norman Prentiss '84
- Julia Stricker '83
- Peter Turchi '82
- Ellen Beardsley '81
- Claire Golding '80
- Joanne Ahearn '79
- Arthur Bilodeau '78
- Mary Ellen Miller '77
- Craig Butcher '76
- William Bowie '75
- Kevin O'Keefe '74
- Mary Yoe '73
- Robert Burkholder '72
- James Dissette '71
- Bill Thompson '70
- William Bradford '69
- Christina Clark-Rohde '68