91ÇÑ×Ó

JACKSON, Miss. (January 15, 2026) – 91ÇÑ×Ó is now accepting submissions for the 2026 Elizabeth Spencer Writing Awards, an annual scholarship program honoring the literary legacy of acclaimed author and 91ÇÑ×Ó alumna Elizabeth Spencer.

The Spencer Awards commemorate Spencer’s achievement by providing stipends to current undergraduates dedicated to the study and creation of literature. Submissions will be judged on aesthetic excellence and acuity of observation of both the writer’s craft and the world around them.

The Elizabeth Spencer Writing Awards were created to encourage creative writing and scholarly engagement with Spencer’s literary work. Four awards of $250 each will be presented in the categories of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and academic or research essay. Entries are welcome from 91ÇÑ×Ó students of all majors.

Spencer was the author of such notable works as The Voice at the Back Door and The Light in the Piazza and was widely acclaimed for the incisive elegance of her writing. During her lifetime, she published nine novels, one novella, seven collections of short stories, a memoir, and a play. She received five O. Henry Awards for Short Fiction, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1957, and was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Faculty in 91ÇÑ×Ó’s English Department and Creative Writing Department will judge the fiction, nonfiction, and poetry categories. Awards will be announced in May, and winning selections will be published in 91ÇÑ×Ó’s digital fine arts journal, The Brogue.

Important dates for the spring contest include:

• April 1: Submission deadline
• May 1: Awards conferred during Honors Convocation

The annual scholarships are funded by Virginia Wicke Morris ’67, a Pensacola, Fla., native and member of the 91ÇÑ×Ó Board of Trustees. The awards are made possible through her generous support.

For submission guidelines, students may contact 91ÇÑ×Ó's English Department Chair Dr. Matthew Guinn at mguinn@belhaven.edu.