Jeremy Kamps and Courtney Campbell Win 22nd Annual Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest
By: Christina Mancuso Sep. 15, 2014
Northampton, MA
Winning Writers is pleased to announce the results from its 22nd annual Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest. Jeremy Kamps of Brooklyn, New York won first prize for fiction and $1,000 for his story "Drawing Water". Courtney Campbell of Brooklyn, New York won first prize for nonfiction and $1,000 for her essay "How to Fight Like a Girl". 1,028 contestants participated from around the world.
The 22nd contest was judged by Arthur Powers, author of A Hero for the People (Press 53, 2013), with assistance from Lauren Singer.
Kamps' profound story centers on a young woman in rural Kenya who is fighting a losing battle against an arranged marriage. The narrator, her worshipful younger sister, tries to comprehend the consequences of this resistance, while choosing a different way to keep her own spirit from being stifled.
Contest judge Arthur Powers said, "The author captures a sense of Kenya-the story takes us into the culture, experiencing tribal life from the inside, so that we empathize with the vividly portrayed human relationships."
Campbell's powerful essay describes a rape survivor's journey from traumatic dissociation to a successful fight for justice. The essay employs several clever framing devices, like presenting the plot as a clinical list of "steps", that serve the dual purpose of showing the main character's alienation from her body and creating safe space for reflection around the more graphic elements of the story.
Powers said of this essay, "Campbell's approach and style are brilliant. She draws the reader into her story, allowing us to experience her shame, frustration, and anger, yet maintains a distance that gives the piece a critical objectivity, increasing its impact."
In fiction, Honorable Mentions of $100 were given to Deb Elkink (two awards), Linda Heuring, Atossa Shafaie, Peggy Schimmelman, and Greg Wright. In nonfiction, Honorable Mentions of $100 went to Mia Herman, Frank Light Jr., L. Lanser-Rose, and Lisa Rehfuss. $3,000 was awarded in all. The winning entries are published online with the judge's remarks. 35 finalists are also recognized.
About the Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest
The Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest, sponsored by Winning Writers, is the successor to the Tom Howard/John H. Reid Short Story Contest formerly sponsored by Tom Howard Books. The contest accepts short stories, essays, and other short works of prose. All styles and themes are welcome. Submissions may be published or unpublished. $3,000 will be awarded, and there is a fee of $16 per entry. Fiction and nonfiction will be judged separately. The top entries in each category will receive $1,000. Entries to the 23rd contest are accepted online now through April 30, 2015. For guidelines, please visit https://www.winningwriters.com/tomstory
About the Contest Sponsor
Winning Writers was founded in 2001 to provide expert literary contest information and resources to the public. In addition to the Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest, we sponsor the Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest and the Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest. Learn more at WinningWriters.com and join our 33,000 followers on Twitter at @winningwriters.
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