NC State Fiction Contest
The annual NC State Fiction Contest is a free literary competition open to all North Carolina residents, including out-of-state and international students who are enrolled in North Carolina universities. It remains one of the largest free-to-enter fiction contests in the South.
2024 Fiction Contest
This year’s guest judge is Annette Clapsaddle, author of Even As We Breathe. Contest categories:
- The James Hurst Prize for Fiction ($500): An unpublished short story of no more than 5,000 words. In addition to the winner, several honorable mention awards will be presented.
- The Shorter Fiction Prize ($250): An unpublished short story of no more than 1,200 words. One honorable mention award will be presented.
James Hurst Short Fiction Prize Finalists
- Ella Newell, “Mermaids” (Charlotte, NC)
- Debra Efird, “Basic Economics” (Harrisburg, NC)
- Ayomide Bayowa, “Black Maria” (Raleigh, NC)
- Rebecca Holder, “Rachel’s Will” (Mount Airy, NC)
- Tuesday Pil, “Demonyo” (Morrisville, NC)
- James McNatton, “A River Runs Deep” (Cary, NC)
- Mingduo Liu, “Dumplings” (Raleigh, NC)
- Grace Buckner, “Lara” (Weaverville, NC)
- Esther Hung, “The Last Will and Testament of Howard Lee” (Greensboro, NC)
- C.G. Thompson, “The Past, Near and Far” (Greenville, NC)
- Lydia Castillo, “Sugar Cookies” (Raleigh, NC)
Shorter Fiction Prize Finalists
- Robert Greene, “from the Book of Aziza” (Raleigh, NC)
- Anna McPhaul, “Lucky” (Raleigh, NC)
- Ayomide Bayowa, “Leaking Water” (Raleigh, NC)
- Bella Woods, “Kind” (Raleigh, NC)
- Vivian Lu, “Salvation” (Fayetteville, NC)
- Ryan Clancy, “See You In Hell” (Raleigh, NC)
- Yazmin Flores, “The Goat Catharsis” (Wilmington, NC)
- Jackson Connor, “Emily-Mae is the Worst Daughter Alive” (Raleigh, NC)
- Luna Hou, “Moon Rabbit” (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Kelly Farrell, “Journal Entry of Maria Tretille #112” (Bailey, NC)
- Kaylee Zou, “My Men” (Raleigh, NC)
Winners will be announced in November
2023 Contest Winners
James Hurst Prize for Fiction
- Olivia Mackie, “Five Children Dead” (New Hill, NC)
Honorable Mentions
- Elizabeth Swann, “Lightning Strike” (Raleigh, NC)
- Simon Palmore, “Blood on the Road” (Durham, NC)
Finalists
- Luisa Peñaflor, “Nacientes” (Carrboro, NC)
- Jody Herring, “Mouth-to-Mouth Resuscitation” (Raleigh, NC)
- Alex McWalters, “Tensile Strength” (Swannanoa, NC)
- Robert McGee, “Bold Breathless Love” (Asheville, NC)
- David Ojo, “Instants of Time” (Durham, NC)
- Chirodip Naha, “Bhagwan Ji” (Raleigh, NC)
- Jean-Luc Bouchard, “Good Intentions” (Greensboro, NC)
Shorter Fiction Prize
- Robert McGee, “Why I Never Published My Novel” (Asheville,NC)
Honorable Mention
- Zachary Jenkins, “Oranges” (Charlotte, NC)
Finalists
- Nitya Budamagunta, “The Dream Machine” (Morrisville, NC)
- Cameron Edwards, “Sun” (Fayetteville, NC)
- Sally Parlier, “A Dumb House” (Raleigh, NC)
- C.G. Thompson, “The Power of What’s Said” (Greenville, NC)
Past Winners
2022 Contest
James Hurst Prize for Fiction
- Maya Afilalo, “Home Improvement” (Raleigh, NC)
Honorable Mentions
- Michael Mount, “Hitchhiker” (Asheville, NC)
- Clayton Walker, “Exploited to Instinct” (Rolesville, NC)
Finalists
- Jean-Luc Bouchard, “Fear of Injury” (Greensboro, NC)
- Holly Brantley, “The Sparrow and the Lily“(Spring Hope, NC)
- Brenda Greene, “A Sucker for Redheads” (Enfield, NC)
- Gabriel Holder, “Scarecrows” (Mebane, NC)
- Rebecca Holder, “Virgil Thompson’s Salvation” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Sally Parlier, “Fortunate” (Raleigh, NC)
- Dean Marshall Tuck, “Vision Quest” (Bailey, NC)
- AlTonya Washington, “The Outside Child” (Winston-Salem, NC)
Shorter Fiction Prize
- Molly Edmonds, “Good Samaritans” (Raleigh, NC)
Honorable Mention
- Susan Wilson, “Dusk” (Clemmons, NC)
Finalists
- Maya Afilalo, “Northern Moon Semi-Annual Review: Submission Guidelines” (Raleigh, NC)
- Laura Bayzle, “Lost & Found” (Raleigh, NC)
- Siew David Hii, “Go On Then” (Raleigh, NC)
- Evan Hoopfer, “Her Dream” (Raleigh, NC)
- Ben Kasierski, “Cost of Acceptance” (Raleigh, NC)
- Isaac Lewis, “Food for Fire” (Raleigh, NC)
- Robert McGee, “The Jerk” (Asheville, NC)
- Tuesday Pil, “The Holy Sacraments of Filipino Food” (Raleigh, NC)
- Amanda Solliday, “Yellow Jackets” (Raleigh, NC)
Winner of the 2022 NC STATE UNDERGRADUATE FICTION PRIZE
- Tuesday Pil, “The Holy Sacraments of Filipino Food” (Raleigh, NC); sophomore, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
2021 Contest
James Hurst Prize for Fiction
- Elizabeth Quirk, “The Plague of Wolves” (Raleigh, NC)
Honorable Mentions
- Matthew Fiander, “The Black-Barred Heart” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Clayton Walker, “Neck Tattoo” (Rolesville, NC)
Finalists
- Maya Afilalo, “We Are All Adults Here” (Raleigh, NC)
- Jean-Luc Bouchard, “Turn Your Back to the Sun” (Greensboro, NC)
- Holly Brantley, “The Purification of Augustine Albemarle” (Spring Hope, NC)
- Michael Colbert, “Dinner Party Stories” (Wilmington, NC)
- Elizabeth Coletti, “You Don’t Know Me Yet” (Carrboro, NC)
- Philip Goldberg, “One Road Out” (Durham, NC)
- Courtney Justus, “Stained-Glass Windows” (Wilmington, NC)
- Sarah Newton, “The Stipulations of Flying” (Rocky Point, NC)
- Howard Pearre, “Byline” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Isabel Walsh, “Screen” (Raleigh, NC)
Winner of the 2021 Shorter Fiction Prize
- Michael Colbert, “Horror Movie” (Wilmington, NC)
Honorable Mention
- Robert McGee, “Secrets” (Asheville, NC)
Finalists
- Albert Howard Carter, “All Stretched Out” (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Emily Clemente, “Poppy” (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Matthew Fiander, “The Storm Rattle” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Ian Holmes, “The Old Hunter” (Morrisville, NC)
- Sarah Katz, “Heart” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Alexander Lopez, “Christ’s Place” (Raleigh, NC)
- Vivian Ina Lu, “Elegy” (Fayetteville, NC)
- Alex Pickens, “Memory” (Raleigh, NC)
- Michelle Qiu, “Bitter Greens” (Winston-Salem, NC)
Winner of the 2021 NC State Undergraduate Fiction Prize
- Holly Brantley, “The Purification of Augustine Albemarle” (Spring Hope, NC); senior, English and Psychology
2020 Contest
James Hurst Prize for Fiction
- Allison Darcy, “Feel” (Butner, NC)
Honorable Mentions
- Josh Tvrdy, “Painting the Bull” (Raleigh, NC)
- Billy Warden, “The Comeback” (Raleigh, NC)
Finalists
- Holly Brantley, “Snakes” (Raleigh, NC)
- Jendayi Brooks-Flemister, “Up Falling” (Raleigh, NC)
- Matthew Fiander, “The Gulley Cart” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Donald Hammond, “Me and Mr. Wissebrodt” (Pinetown, NC)
- Jody Herring, “A Thing” (Raleigh, NC)
- Courtney Justus, “The Station” (Wilmington, NC)
- Camilla Keil, “Eternal” (Raleigh, NC)
- Alexander Lopez, “Beefcakes” (Raleigh, NC)
- Harvey Slade, “Battle Worn” (Raleigh, NC)
- Susan Wilson, “Welcome” (Clemmons, NC)
Winner of the 2020 Shorter Fiction Prize
- Clint Alexander, “Soliloquy of the Community Gardener” (Cullowhee, NC)
Honorable Mention
- Michael Colbert, “Mr. Anderson” (Wilmington, NC)
Finalists
- Robert McGee, “Stranger” (Asheville, NC)
- Sara Newton, “Orange Trees” (Raleigh, NC)
- Alex Pickens, “)” (Raleigh, NC)
- Kayla Rutledge, “The Jury” (Raleigh, NC)
- Lane Smith, “Beige Blue Jeans” (Raleigh, NC)
- C.G. Thompson, “Of Cell Phones and the Zombie Apocalypse” (Greenville, NC)
- Clayton Walker, “Baby in the Backseat” (Rolesville, NC)
Winner of the 2020 NC State Undergraduate Fiction Prize
- Amelia Fee, “Fragaria” (Chapel Hill, NC); senior, College of Design
2019 Contest
James Hurst Prize for Fiction
- Kayla Rutledge, “Chicken” (Chapel Hill, NC)
Honorable Mentions
- Kathryn Barber, “Sorry About Your Bird” (Wilmington, NC)
- Isaac Hughes Green, “The First Time I Said It” (Durham, NC)
Finalists
- Gina Atkins, “The Callaloo Children” (Raleigh, NC)
- Katherine W. Bailey, “The Summer of the Duck” (Atlantic Beach, NC)
- Kathryn Barber, “Sorry About Your Bird” (Wilmington, NC)
- James Breeden, “Targets” (Durham, NC)
- Allison Darcy, “Zochreini” (Butner, NC)
- Matthew Fiander, “The Silence Before” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Isaac Hughes Green, “The First Time I Said It” (Durham, NC)
- Courtney Justus, “Flight” (Wilmington, NC)
- Jack Lynch, “Pre-Seed” (Raleigh, NC)
- Janet Smith Moore, “Thanksgiving” (Asheville, NC)
- Craig Lincoln, “Life At Sea” (Durham, NC)
- Emily Morris, “Tilled” (Greensboro, NC)
- Kayla Rutledge, “Chicken” (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Kristin Tajlili, “Hope It Gets Better” (Raleigh, NC)
- Rachel Ranie Taube, “Small Cogs” (Wilmington, NC)
- Isabel Walsh, “Other-Side People” (Raleigh, NC)
Winner of the 2019 Shorter Fiction Prize
- Andrés Manosalva Castañeda, “Root” (Raleigh, NC)
Honorable Mention
- Kayla Rutledge, “The Pool” (Chapel Hill, NC)
Finalists
- Chris Brincefield, “This is Your Life” (Statesville, NC)
- Michael Colbert, “Mary has been quitting her job” (Wilmington, NC)
- Amelia Conklin, “Last Goodbye” (Raleigh, NC)
- Allison Darcy, “Dream Eater” (Butner, NC)
- Joanna King, “GETAWAY4U, Inc.” (Raleigh, NC)
- Emily Morris, “Their Voices are in Their Legs” (Greensboro, NC)
- Rachel Ranie Taube, “A Girl Cawed” (Wilmington, NC)
- Gail Williamson, “Dumpster Treasures” (Lexington, NC)
Winner of the 2019 NC State Undergraduate Fiction Prize
- Jack Lynch, “Pre-Seed” (Raleigh, NC)
2018 Contest
James Hurst Prize for Fiction
- Holly Hilliard, “Beyond His Reach” (Raleigh, NC)
Honorable Mentions
- Allison Darcy, “Fidelis” (Butner, NC)
- Mary Anna Rice, “The Disappearance of Morimoto Airi” (Raleigh, NC)
Finalists
- Erika Grandstaff, “It Could Happen Like This” (Garner, NC)
- Sharon Louise Howard, “The Interview” (Boone, NC)
- Gina Malone, “P. Burlington” (Waynesville, NC)
- Emily Morris, “7-Eleven” (Greensboro, NC)
- Nancy Swanson, “If You’re Laughing, You’ve Never Been to Idaho” (Pisgah Forest, NC)
- Isabel Walsh, “Invitation (Raleigh, NC)
- Angela Wilhite, “La Posada” (Raleigh, NC)
Winner of the 2018 Shorter Fiction Prize
- Mary Anna Rice, “Jaybird” (Raleigh, NC)
Honorable Mention
- Emily Morris, “Popsicle Sticks” (Greensboro, NC)
Finalists
- Joshua Durham, “At Work With Dad, 1983” (Charlotte, NC)
- Molly Edmonds, “All the Guys with Their Dogs at the Lake on a Sunday” (Raleigh, NC)
- Holly Hilliard, “If Not For Modern Medicine” (Raleigh, NC)
- Zachary Lunn, “Hurry Up and Wait” (Raeford, NC)
- Davis Moore, “The Sweatshirt” (Highlands, NC)
- Emily Morris, “Popsicle Sticks” (Greensboro, NC)
- Caitlin Norris, “Child 6” (Raleigh, NC)
- Mary Anna Rice, “Jaybird” (Raleigh, NC)
- Arshia Simkin, “Chrysalis” (Burlington, NC)
- Susan Wilson, “New Shoes” (Clemmons, NC)
Winner of the 2018 Undergraduate Fiction Prize
- Victoria Anne, “Flamingo Milk”; junior, University College
2017 Contest
James Hurst Prize for Fiction
- Taylor Sykes, “Creeper” (Raleigh, NC)
Honorable Mentions
- Janet Smith Moore, “Beatitudes” (Asheville, NC)
- Arshia Simkin, “No More Kissing Talk” (Burlington, NC)
Finalists
- Marcus Blyden, “Barbwire Blues” (Davidson, NC)
- Austin Cunningham, “August” (Raleigh, NC)
- Molly Edmunds, “Ivette” (Raleigh, NC)
- Matthew Fiander, “The Starland Box” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Holly Hilliard, “The Remainders” (Raleigh, NC)
- Amy Sayle, “Taking A Leap” (Carrboro, NC)
- Susan H. Wilson, “Lunch Hour for the Not Dead Yet” (Clemmons, NC)
Winner of the 2017 Shorter Fiction Prize
- Jen Julian, “Attachment” (Supply, NC)
Honorable Mention
- Nick Story, “Opportunity” (Wilmington, NC)
Finalists
- Threa Almontaser, “Time for A Visit” (Raleigh, NC)
- Allison Darcy, “The Cannibal’s Wife” (Oxford, NC)
- Alex Gaines, “Denali” (Durham, NC)
- Erica Grandstaff, “Bottled” (Garner, NC)
- Arshia Simkin, “Son of An Owl” (Burlington, NC)
Winner of the 2017 NC State Undergraduate Fiction Prize
- Austin Cunningham, “August” (Raleigh, NC)
2016 Contest
James Hurst Prize for Fiction
- Zachary Lunn, “Guts” (Raleigh, NC)
Honorable Mentions
- Molly Sentell Haile, “On the Far Edge of Paradise” (Summerfeld, NC)
- Vivian Lu, “Shanghai, 1966” (Cary, NC)
Finalists
- Theresa Dowell Blackinton, “Reunification” (Durham, NC)
- Anita Collins, “Upline” (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Blair Donahue, “Ten Cent Balloons” (Raleigh, NC)
- Matthew Fiander, “Everywhere Scarecrows” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Tayler Heuston, “Prudence” (Raleigh, NC)
- Laura Moretz, “Dancing with Shaky” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Travis Price, “HumanKind” (Raleigh, NC)
- Mary Anna Rice, “The Difference Between Us” (Raleigh, NC)
- Marie Seegmiller, “I Flatter Myself” (Raleigh, NC)
- Julie Steinbacher, “The Pokémon Game” (Raleigh, NC)
Winner of the 2016 NC State Prize for Short Fiction
- Vladimir Ureña, “Gringo School” (Raleigh, NC)
Honorable Mention
- Riley Kross, “The Elephant” (Raleigh, NC)
Finalist
- Genevieve Austin, “The Red Dress” (Boone, NC)
- Marcus Blyden, “Red Lipstick” (Davidson, NC)
- Cindy Brookshire, “Balloon Baby Jesus” (Pine Level, NC)
- Debra Madaris Efird, “Palette of Love” (Harrisburg, NC)
- Lauren Fulcher, “Gentlemen with Flowers” (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Tayler Heuston, “Process of Illumination” (Raleigh, NC)
- Vivian Lu, “Untethered” (Cary, NC)
- Laura Moretz, “Letter from the Roanoke Valley Detention Center” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Travis Price, “Kansas” (Raleigh, NC)
- Thomas Wolf, “Fear” (Chapel Hill, NC)
Winner of the 2016 NC State Undergraduate Fiction Prize
- Mary Anna Rice, “The Difference Between Us”; senior, English
2015 Contest
James Hurst Prize for Fiction
- Leah Hampton, “Fuckface” (Waynesville, NC)
Honorable Mentions
- Anita Collins, “The Anderson Kid” (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Brian Ownbey, “The Lucky One” (Raleigh, NC)
Finalists
- Matthew Fiander, “The Disaster March” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Paul Harvel, “When the Leaves Change” (Pittsboro, NC)
- H. Martin Hebert, “Casablanca” (Raleigh, NC)
- John Lawton, “Floating Holidays” (Raleigh, NC)
- Craig Lincoln, “Pride of Pele” (Durham, NC)
- Laura Moretz, “Bulldog” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Jon Mozes, “Old Goats” (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Travis Price, “The Girl in the Coma” (Raleigh, NC)
- Elizabeth Sinden, “Love Sick” (Raleigh, NC)
- Emily Sorge, “Half World” (Greensboro, NC)
- Cadwell Turnbull, “Jump” (Raleigh, NC)
- Billy Warden, “Night Hitch” (Raleigh, NC)
Winner of the 2015 NC State Prize for Short Fiction
- Helena Bell, “Shark Bites: Five Dollars” (Raleigh, NC)
Honorable Mention
- Michelle Crouch, “Dad tells a story with a dog in it” (Durham, NC)
Finalists
- Threa Almontaser, “Night Reading” (Raleigh, NC)
- Kartika Budhwar, “Showtime” (Raleigh, NC)
- Grace Dow, “Nine Hundred Feet” (Monroe, NC)
- Bryce Emley, “Preservation” (Raleigh, NC)
- Matthew Fiander, “Trivia” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Tayler Heuston, “Don’t challenge the kids in the polio camp” (Raleigh, NC)
- Craig Lincoln, “Carbonus Kilroy’s Menagerie of Misfit Machines” (Durham, NC)
- Calista Moon, “Late Afternoon” (Pittsboro, NC)
- Jon Mozes, “The Foyer” (Chapel HIll, NC)
- Elizabeth Oliver, “Blue Like Ours” (Apex, NC)
- Gary Phillips, “The Way Love Circles” (Pittsboro, NC)
- Megan Roberts, “Between the Cedars” (Raleigh, NC)
Winner of the 2015 NC State Undergraduate Fiction Prize
- Threa Almontaser, “Night Reading”; senior, English
2014 Contest
James Hurst Prize for Fiction
- Ross Garrison, “Migration” (Greensboro, NC)
Honorable Mentions
- Theresa Blackinton, “Next Time, The Whale” (Durham, NC)
- Hannah Jones, “All Women Welcome” (Raleigh, NC)
Finalists
- Heather Bell Adams, “Salamander in the Garden” (Raleigh, NC)
- Mark Cravens, “Miserable Lives and Hell Thereafter” (Apex, NC)
- Tayler Heuston, “A Sherpa and a Yak” (Raleigh, NC)
- George Kretchun, “Family Values” (Reidsville, NC)
- Matthew Maslowski, “The Briefest of Love, on the Daily” (Raleigh, NC)
- Jon Mozes, “New Haven” (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Brian Ownbey, “Baitfish” (Raleigh, NC)
- Julie Steinbacher, “Bright Objects” (Raleigh, NC)
Winner of the 2014 NC State Prize for Short Fiction
- Cadwell Turnbull, “Ears” (Raleigh, NC)
Honorable Mention
- Tayler Heuston, “Isla Vista” (Raleigh, NC)
Finalists
- Heather Bell Adams, “Third Shift” (Raleigh, NC)
- Judith Behar, “Boxed In” (Greensboro, NC)
- Bryce Emley, “Small Fires” (Raleigh, NC)
- Carlene Kucharczyk, “All Souls” (Raleigh, NC)
- Ben Murphy, “Still Life” (Raleigh, NC)
- Kat Reece, “Guilt” (Raleigh, NC)
- Jen Suchanec, “The Meteorologist’s Party” (Raleigh, NC)
- York Wilson, “To Our Valued Customers” (Timberlake, NC)
Winner of the 2014 NC State Undergraduate Fiction Prize
- Marcus Blyden, “Sick Bastards”; junior, English
2013 Contest
James Hurst Prize for Fiction
- Lucas Church, “The Dog Upstairs” (Chapel Hill, NC)
Honorable Mentions
- A. K. Benninghofen, “Belmont Heights Historic District” (Asheville, NC)
- Brian Ownbey, “Familiar Strangers” (Raleigh, NC)
Finalists
- Theresa Blackinton, “Spelunking” (Durham, NC)
- Hannah Jones, “The Fat Twin” (Raleigh, NC)
- Rebecca Lanning, “Severe and Profound” (Durham, NC)
- Justin Meckes, “The Cat Burglar” (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Jon Mozes, “Lost and Found” (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Elizabeth Tarver, “The Sidney Bechet North Carolina Blues” (Raleigh, NC)
- Kasey Thornton, “Captivity” (Wendell, NC)
- Drew Wade, “Legal Age” (Raleigh, NC)
- Jonathan Williams, “Winter, Keep Us Warm” (Greensboro, NC)
Winner of the 2012 NC State Prize for Short Fiction
- Theresa Blackinton, “How to Have A Kid” (Durham, NC)
Honorable Mention
- Craig Lincoln, “Nothing on Harpo” (Raleigh, NC)
Finalists
- Heather Bell Adams, “Green River Gorge” (Raleigh, NC)
- Paul Dixon, “Jesus, My Protector” (New Bern, NC)
- Ellen Adele King, “Trance” (Raleigh, NC)
- Elizabeth Sinden, “For the Remission of Sins” (Raliegh, NC)
- Cadwell Turnbull, “Obeah” (Raleigh, NC)
- Emily Sorge, “Willa” (Raleigh, NC)
2012 Contest
James Hurst Prize for Fiction
- Melanie Raskin, “Now You See Her, Now You–” (Chapel Hill, NC)
Honorable Mentions
- Ellen Adele King, “Ant Season” (Raleigh, NC)
- Craig Lincoln, “Rabbit Hill” (Raleigh, NC)
Finalists
- Matthew Fiander, “Liner Notes” (Greensboro, NC)
- Laurie Lail, “Watching for Elizabeth” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Laura Knight Moretz, “Philo Goes Home” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Emily Palmer, “Face Painting” (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Elizabeth Sinden, “Recipe Writer” (Raleigh, NC)
- Elizabeth Tarver, “Runnergirl” (Raleigh, NC)
- Kasey Thornton, “Blood on My Hands” (Wendell, NC)
Winner of the 2012 NC State Prize for Short Fiction
- Brian Ownbey, “Happy Now” (Raleigh, NC)
Honorable Mention
- Theresa Blackinton, “Unscripted” (Durham, NC)
Finalists
- Chase Cline, “They Were In Love” (Raleigh, NC)
- Ross Howell, “Vision” (Greensboro, NC)
- Ellen Adele King, “Bodies” (Raleigh, NC)
- Susan Kirby-Smith, “Misplaced” (Greensboro, NC)
- Kirsten Lemmons, “Lost Words” (Raleigh, NC)
- Raymond Morrison, “The Old Woman on the Porch” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Kat Reece, “My Father’s Dream” (Raleigh, NC)
- Kemper Wray, “Local Landscaper Drowns Lover” (Raleigh, NC)
Winner of the 2012 NC State Undergraduate Fiction Prize
- Chase Cline, “Neighborhood Watch”; senior, English
2011 Contest
James Hurst Prize for Fiction
- Ashlee Crews, “Church Time” (Durham, NC)
Honorable Mentions
- Stacey Cochran, “Eddie and Sunny” (Raleigh, NC)
- G.J. Villa, “Lifestyles of the Bored and Aimless” (Cary, NC)
Finalists
- Matt Alston, “Some Observations to Consider for your Second Draft” (Raleigh, NC)
- Laura Giovanelli, “The Survivors” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Ariel Rudolph Harwick, “Rich All Over” (Cary, NC)
- Rose Lambert-Sluder, “The Bull” (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Mesha Maren, “Confluence” (Asheville, NC)
- Lisa Ward Meadows, “Interment” (Raleigh, NC)
- Cortney Phillips, “Fascinating Woman” (Raleigh, NC)
- Charles Rucker, “A Flash of Red” (Hillsborough, NC)
- J.B. Sparrow, “Passing” (Greensboro, NC)
- Christine Stark, “Fields of Heather” (Wilmington, NC)
- Kasey Thornton, “Took Up” (Wendell, NC)
Winner of the 2011 NC State Prize for Short Fiction
- Julia Patt, “Boy Come Home” (Greensboro, NC)
Honorable Mention
- Mesha Maren, “Eminent Domain” (Asheville, NC)
Finalists
- Matt Alston, “They Call Him Sugar” (Raleigh, NC)
- Holly Beilin, “The Genetic Mutations of Love” (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Lucas Church, “Donkeys” (Raleigh, NC)
- Sandra Jung Hall, “Appalachian Wal-Mart at Christmas” (Durham, NC)
- Corbie Hill, “Cody” (Pittsboro, NC)
- Smriti Jaiswal, “Lord Ram’s Marriage Anniversary” (Durham, NC)
- Meredith Jones, Untitled (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Jacqueline Kantor, “The Mood for Forgetting” (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Tracy Knight, “Far From Home” (Raleigh, NC)
- Madeline Raskulinecz, “Red Line to Glenmont, 3:09 a.m.” (Carrboro, NC)
Winner of the 2011 NC State Undergraduate Fiction Prize
- Corbie Hill, “Cody”; junior, English
2010 Contest
NC State Prize for Fiction
- Emily Howson, “Country Club People” (Raleigh, NC)
Honorable Mentions
- Shervon Cassim, “Falconry” (Durham, NC)
- David Flatley, “Gabriel’s Hundred” (Lillington, NC)
Finalists
- Will Badger, “Boxes” (Holly Springs, NC)
- Stacey Sanchez Bigliardi, “The Juggy” (Garner, NC)
- Shane Combs, “Cave Boy and the Sun” (Wilmington, NC)
- Paul Dixon, “The Repairable Nature of Things” (Winterville, NC)
- Buddy Harris, “Things Blur Together” (Durham, NC)
- Marion Hodge, “Amends” (High Point, NC)
- Aimee Mepham, “Raving Ones” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Cortney Phillips, “Books on Tape” (Raleigh, NC)
- Caroline Swicegood, “Stories” (Raleigh, NC)
- C.G. Thompson, “Some Call It Magic” (Greenville, NC)
Winner of the 2010 NC State Prize for Short Fiction
- Aimee Mepham, “Paper Cut” (Winston-Salem, NC)
Honorable Mention
- Josh Eure, “Hurricane” (Hertford, NC)
Finalists
- Theresa Dowell Blackinton, “Flying Into the Dark” (Durham, NC)
- Paul Dixon, “Revival” (Winterville, NC)
- Laura Giovanelli, “Border Crossing” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Lyn Fairchild Hawks, “3.0” (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Smriti Jaiswal, “Connections” (Durham, NC)
- Paul Lascara, “I Am Sorry” (Raleigh, NC)
- Ariel Rudolph, “Little Thing In A Big Place” (Carrboro, NC)
- Greg Shemkovitz, “The Retired Postal Worker” (Greensboro, NC)
Winner of the 2010 NC State Undergraduate Fiction Prize
- Sherri Thompson, “Round Midnight”; junior, Biochemistry
2009 Contest
Brenda L. Smart Award for Short Fiction
- Katherine Pearl, “Inside of Pappy Pig” (Durham, NC)
Honorable Mentions
- Cory Harris, “Swaddled Disappointment” (Cary, NC)
- Anthony Sams, “Ich Bin Ein” (Wilmington, NC)
Finalists
- Cathy Adams, “Boxes” (Asheville, NC)
- Stacey Sanchez Bigliardi, “What People Remember” (Garner, NC)
- Michelle Bliss, “Driving Home” (Wilmington, NC)
- Jacqui Causey, “Neither Here Nor There” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Jeffrey Evans, “Sure Thing” (Winterville, NC)
- Smriti Jaiswal, “Old Iron Trunks” (Durham, NC)
- Jennifer Julian, “Stereograms” (Greensboro, NC)
- Jennifer Morgan, “Iblis” (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Mallory Tarses, “Tennis Lesson” (Wilmington, NC)
- Jessica Thummel, “The Replacement” (Wilmington, NC)
Winner of the 2009 Brenda L. Smart Award for Short Fiction
- David Flatley, “Sunday at Dad’s” (Lillington, NC)
Honorable Mention
- Cyra Sherburn, “The Inside” (Wilmington, NC)
Finalists
- Darlene Cah, “The Jazz in Her Soul” (Columbus, NC)
- Jackson Connor, “The Kids in My Neighborhood” (Greensboro, NC)
- Courtney Han, “Taking Her With Me” (Durham, NC)
- Cory Harris, “The Christian Magician” (Cary, NC)
- Smriti Jaiswal, “Over Hair and Hips” (Durham, NC)
- Cassandra Mannes, “Elena” (Raleigh, NC)
- S.P. Matchett, “Leaving Home” (Charlotte, NC)
- Maggie Smith, “Fish” (Clayton, NC)
- Mallory Tarses, “How Was Your Weekend?” (Wilmington, NC)
- Amy Willoughby-Burle, “What She Couldn’t Do” (Candler, NC)
Winner of the 2009 Undergraduate Fiction Prize
- Cassandra Mannes, “Elena”; junior, English
2008 Contest
Brenda L. Smart Prize for Fiction
- Erica Plouffe Lazure, “The Cold Front” (Greenville, NC)
Honorable Mentions
- Robert McGee, “The Last Great Skull Man” (Asheville, NC)
- Katherine Pearl, “Invisible Force Fields” (Raleigh, NC)
Finalists
- Megan Mayhew Bergman, “Bound to Land” (Raleigh, NC)
- Kevin Casey, “The Welcome Brigade” (Raleigh, NC)
- Roger Cordes, ”Window One Dollar” (Oriental, NC)
- Josh Eure, “Only An Engine” (Hertford, NC)
- Smriti Jaiswal, “The Temple” (Durham, NC)
- Tommy Jenkins, “Three Plays” (Raleigh, NC)
- Aimee Mepham, “Cul-de-sac”(Winston-Salem, NC)
- Daniel Parsons, “Rose (La Diabla)” (Raleigh, NC)
- Alisonn Rose, “Mira’s Treasure” (Raleigh, NC)
- Ben Turney, “Back to the Old Ladies” (Durham, NC)
Winner of the 2008 Brenda L. Smart Award for Short Fiction
- Kevin Casey, “April Wade ” (Raleigh, NC)
Honorable Mention
- Paul Dixon, “What I Got, I Got” (Winterville, NC)
Finalists
- Jake Burnett, “Zeke Skeen” (Raleigh, NC)
- Aileen Carson, “Conflict in the Sixties” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Smriti Jaiswal, “Bad Mother” (Durham, NC)
- Lisa Long, “Amen” (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Robert McGee, “There Was An Echo” (Asheville, NC)
- Jason Orders, “Severance” (Apex, NC)
- Megan Roberts, “Gestures” (Greenville, NC)
- Sarah Simpson, “Someone You Don’t Know Who Loves You” (Cary, NC)
- Diana Spindler-Jones, “Liz Phair’s Voice Change” (Cary, NC)
- Rachel Wingo, “Us” (Raleigh, NC)
Winner of the 2008 Undergraduate Fiction Prize
- Joel Mikkelsen, “Mascot”; senior, Philosophy
2007 Contest
Brenda L. Smart Prize for Fiction
- Whit Coppedge, “Paint” (Chapel Hill, NC)
Honorable Mentions
- Josh Eure, “Balloon Vine” (Hertford, NC)
- Megan Roberts, “Corners” (Greenville, NC)
Finalists
- Robin Follet, “Sarcasm” (Cary, NC)
- Parfait Gasana, “Equilibrium” (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Cathy James, “Mr. Chinese Right” (Weaverville, NC)
- Molly McCaffrey, “The Other Man” (Laurinburg, NC)
- Katherine Pearl, “Unscheduled Departures” (Raleigh, NC)
- Eric Roe, “Notes from Lazarus” (Raleigh, NC)
- Maureen Sherbondy, “The Final Simcha” (Raleigh, NC)
- Jodi Lynn Villers, “ABC” (Raleigh, NC)
- Brendan Walsh, “Bruised” (Raleigh, NC)
- Lisa Ward, “Road Side” (Raleigh, NC)
- Anne Woodman, “Cherries in the Snow” (Morrisville, NC)
Winner of the 2007 Brenda L. Smart Award for Short Fiction
- Jodi Lynn Villers, “Vocabulary Builder ” (Raleigh, NC)
Honorable Mention
- Tommy Jenkins, “The Scar ” (Raleigh, NC)
Finalists
- Jane Andrews, “Frames” (Raleigh, NC)
- Whitman Bolles, “Down There” (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Whit Coppedge, “Irritated ” (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Paul Dixon, “Snap” (Winterville, NC)
- Molly McCaffrey, “Look Away ” (Laurinburg, NC)
- Robert McGee, “That Woman That Night” (Asheville, NC)
- Shailen Mishra, “Performance Behind A Theater” (Raleigh, NC)
- Megan Roberts, “R Like Me ” (Greenville, NC)
- Sarah Simpson, “Conservation” (Raleigh, NC)
- Jennifer Weathers, “Triplets” (Wilmington, NC)
Winner of the 2007 Undergraduate Fiction Prize
- Josh Eure, “Balloon Vine” (junior, English)
2006 Contest
Brenda L. Smart Prize for Fiction
- Amy Knox Brown, “Why We Are the Way We Are” (Winston-Salem, NC)
Honorable Mentions
- Mitch Conover, “A Short Story for the Last Man Who Still Liked Whistling Dixie” (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Molly McCaffrey, “The Lake in Winter” (Laurinburg, NC)
Finalists:
- William Boggess, “There” (Burnsville, NC)
- Danielle DeRise, “Small Bodies” (Wilmington, NC)
- Paul Dixon, “Precious Memories” (Winterville, NC)
- Mary Hennessy, “Chicago” (Raleigh, NC)
- Nell Joslin, “Danny” (Raleigh, NC)
- Kathleen Laughlin, “Persons in Need of Supervision” (Cary, NC)
- Shailen Mishra, “The Fifty Year Old Dream” (Raleigh, NC)
- Jeanne Mullins, “On the Spectrum” (Wilmington, NC)
- Melinda Shail, “Pluto—Not A Planet Anymore” (Raleigh, NC)
- Stella Ward Whitlock, “Bear Train” (Fayetteville, NC)
Winner of the 2006 Brenda L. Smart Award for Short Fiction
- Megan Mayhew Bergman, “The Wet Bones of Eldress Parker Comar” (Raleigh, NC)
Honorable Mentions
- Jane Andrews, “Nautilus” (Raleigh, NC)
Finalists:
- David Bell, “Second Choice” (Laurinburg, NC)
- Melissa Bickey, “November Water” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Vicki Crouser, “In Holyoke Hell” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Adam Currie, “Cleaning House” (Wendell, NC)
- Cathy Freeman, “Daisies” (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Zackary Vernon, “Birthday Suit and the Texture Flat” (Hillsborough, NC)
- Jodi Lynn Villers, “Church Bells” (Raleigh, NC)
- Robert Wallace, “Why Do Cold Brown Chickens Wear Watered-Down Pants?” (Durham, NC)
- Kate Wheeler, “Mark and Jane Talk About Math” (Carrboro, NC)
Winner of the 2006 Undergraduate Fiction Prize
- Adam Currie, “Cleaning House”; senior, English
2005 Contest
Brenda L. Smart Prize for Fiction
- Whitman Bolles, “The Saving of the Turtles” (Chapel Hill, NC)
Honorable Mentions
- Erica Berkeley, “Fine People Come About By Accident” (Pittsboro, NC)
- Sarah Boone, “Homecoming” (Raleigh, NC)
Finalists
- Greg Behr, “Massapequa” (Cary, NC)
- Daniel DeRise, “Who Said Anything About Love?” (Wilmington, NC)
- Kalyani Deshpande, “The Drawing on the Wall” (Morrisville, NC)
- Kristine Forrest, “Waves” (Cary, NC)
- Rebecca Morgan Gee, “Icie” (Apex, NC)
- Matt Griffin, “Final Expenses” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Miriam Delaney Heard, “Southern Sweetness” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Nell Joslin, “Amputee” (Raleigh, NC)
- Penelope Robbins, “Like the Moon, Only Fuller” (Raleigh, NC)
- Leslie Youngblood, “Poor Girl’s Palace” (Greensboro, NC)
Winner of the 2005 Brenda L. Smart Award for Short Fiction
- Amy Knox Brown, “Sitting Bull’s Translator Remembers the Speech in Bismarck, N.D.” (Winston-Salem, NC)
Honorable Mentions
- Claire Guyton, “Demonstrating the Versatility of a Blender” (Raleigh, NC)
- Miriam Delaney Heard, “Samson’s Might” (Winston-Salem, NC)
Finalists
- Whit Coppedge, “My Wife Knows Where I Keep My Golf Clubs in Winter” (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Paul Dixon, “Have A Nice Day” (Winterville, NC)
- Mackenzie Dotson, “Stark White” (Cary, NC)
- Mary Hennessy, “A Clean Sheet” (Raleigh, NC)
- Leigh Johnson, “Stranded” (Raleigh, NC)
- Sharon Kurtzman, “Slanted” (Raleigh, NC)
- Elizabeth Livingston, “Light At Dusk” (Raleigh, NC)
- Claire Moseley, “We All Fall Down” (Asheville, NC)
- Jodi Lynn Villers, “Underwater Where It’s Safe” (Raleigh, NC)
Winner of the 2005 Undergraduate Fiction Prize
- Claire Moseley, “We All Fall Down”; senior, Parks and Recreation
2004 Contest
Brenda L. Smart Prize for Fiction
- Misha Angrist, “Paper Boy” (Durham, NC)
Honorable Mentions
- Tim McBride, “Mr. Wittington” (Cary, NC)
- Robert McGee, “Ed Ramirez” (Asheville, NC)
Finalists
- Kate Betterton, “When They Ring the Orchard Bell” (Chapel Hill, NC)
- William Conescu, “The Bridge Group” (Durham, NC)
- Whit Coppedge, “Towers” (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Claire Guyton, “Where Your Head Goes” (Raleigh, NC)
- Irene Harvley-Felder, “Naming the Stars” (Burlington, NC)
- Vishal Khanna, “Garbo’s Eyes” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Paul Koning, “The Ends of the Earth” (Raleigh, NC)
- Nicholas Perros, “Break Up” (Raleigh, NC)
- Penelope Robbins, “Girlfriend” (Raleigh, NC)
- Denise Sherman, “Gift From A Sinister Santa” (Raleigh, NC)
- Mallory Tarses, “Boy At Sea” (Wilmington, NC)
- Art Taylor, “Mrs. Marple and the Hit-and-Run” (Raleigh, NC)
- Tara Thompson, “Bald” (Wilmington, NC)
Winner of the 2004 Brenda L. Smart Award for Short Fiction
- Tracie Fellers, “Reverb” (Greensboro, NC)
Honorable Mention
- Kevin Boyle, “Palm” (Burlington, NC)
Finalists
- C.L. Dowd, “By The Numbers” (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Linda Finigan, “Simple Mission” (Durham, NC)
- Mary Hennessy, “In Over Her Head” (Raleigh, NC)
- Colin Hickey, “Courage” (Raleigh, NC)
- Michael Jasper, “Tiny Disaster” (Wake Forest, NC)
- Sharon Kurtzman, “Fresh Air” (Raleigh, NC)
- Jason Lundberg “The Artists’ Penaptych” (Raleigh, NC)
- Greg Shemkovitz, “When You Get Home Late At Night” (Greensboro, NC)
- Shelley Stout, “Comfort in the Poetry of Songs” (Matthews, NC)
- Mallory Tarses, “World Series, 1979” (Wilmington, NC)
- Art Taylor, “Here For You” (Raleigh, NC)
- Jodi Lynn Villers, “H is for Husband, B is for Baby” (Raleigh, NC)
- Brent Winter, “I Wish I Could Tell You” (Carrboro, NC)
- Leslie Youngblood, “Daddy’s Biscuits” (Greensboro, NC)
Winner of the 2004 Undergraduate Fiction Prize
- Millie Breedlove, “I’m Not Afraid, Exactly”; senior, English
2003 Contest
Brenda L. Smart Prize for Fiction
- L.H. Finigan, “Rain, Heavy At Times” (Durham, NC)
Honorable Mentions
- Mallort Tarses, “Details” (Wilmington, NC)
- Lisa Ward, “Those Who See” (Rocky Mount, NC)
Finalists
- Misha Angrist, “Venn Diagram” (Durham, NC)
- Amy Knox Brown, “Habeas Corpus” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Gerard Canavan, “When the Boys Comes Out to Play” (Greensboro, NC)
- Kim Church, “World Without Columbo” (Raleigh, NC)
- William Conescu, “Cam and Collin” (Durham, NC)
- Brian Crocker, “Late Skate” (Greensboro, NC)
- Timothy Davis, “Mexican Space Shuttle” (Charlotte, NC)
- Therese Fowler, “Outside the Lines” (Raleigh, NC)
- E.F. Harabin, “Do You Know What It’s Like?” (Wake Forest, NC)
- Louisa Jones, “Viet” (Burlington, NC)
- Rebecca Lanning, “Leaving Paradise” (Wilmington, NC)
- Laura Grant McGuire, “Heads or Tails” (Raleigh, NC)
Winner of the 2003 Brenda L. Smart Award for Short Fiction
- Jennifer Garrison Stuber, “Clown Baby” (Raleigh, NC)
Honorable Mentions
- Wes Saylors, “This Just In: Bear Drinks Sodas for Money” (Boone, NC)
Finalists
- Misha Angrist, “Holidays” (Durham, NC)
- Amy Knox Brown, “Dr. Faustus in Lincoln” (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Russell Campbell, “Jake” (Durham, NC)
- Whit Coppedge, “Drought” (Chapel HIll, NC)
- Brian Crocker, “Mill Town, NC” (Greensboro, NC)
- Paul Dixon, “Empty Nest” (Winterville, NC)
- Patrick Egan, “Like We’re Talking” (Greensboro, NC)
- L.H. Finigan, “Birth Mothers, Seeking” (Durham, NC)
- Lisa Hartman, “Bald Mountain” (Durham, NC)
- Jordan Hester, untitled (Raleigh, NC)
- Mel Jones, “MIssissippi Funeral” (Chapel HIll, NC)
- Charles Merwarth, “Think of the Alternative” (Raleigh, NC)
- Tom Sowders, “Special” (Raleigh, NC)
Winner of the 2003 Undergraduate Fiction Prize
- Lisa Ward, “Those Who See”; senior, English