In appreciation for her commitment to the study of women’s literature, Wayne State University is pleased to announce the JUDITH SIEGEL PEARSON AWARD. The award is an annual prize for the best creative or scholarly work on a subject concerning women. (At the discretion of the final judge, several awards may be given.) Judges over the past several years have been Maureen Owen, Barbara Einzig, Bhanu Kapil, Simone Chess, Joyce Jenkins, Aricka Foreman, Chris Tysh, and Natalie Bakopoulos.
Judith Siegel Pearson was born in Detroit, educated at Wayne State University, where she received her B.A. (1966) and M.A. (1968), Phi Beta Kappa. She went on to receive her Ph. D. from Washington University (Missouri) and taught at the University of Missouri, St. Louis. There she became one of the first English instructors to include Women’s Studies methods in her classes. She worked at the St. Louis Museum of Art and was on the public relations staff at UMSL when she died suddenly in November, 1979, of leukemia. She is survived by her son, Nathaniel. The Siegel family honors her memory with this award.
RULES FOR SUBMISSION
Welcome in their respective years are unpublished fiction, drama, poetry or non-fiction. Subjects must concern women. Submissions are open to all interested writers and scholars. The following schedule of awards will be observed.
- 2025 Poetry
- 2026 Non-Fiction
- 2027 Fiction
- 2028 Drama
Submissions should be anonymous with the author’s name and address entered separately in the form provided. Be sure to remove your name from any manuscript you upload. Each manuscript submitted should be clearly typed, double-spaced, and proofread carefully. PDFs are preferred. Contestants retain copyright of all work submitted. No work that has previously won a writing award conferred by Wayne State University may be resubmitted for this award.
Deadline for Submission is Wednesday, March 1, 2025 (must be received by midnight, Eastern Standard Time). Award to be announced in April. No late submissions will be accepted. WSU students may submit the same work for multiple awards.
Contributions to the Judith Siegel Pearson Fund may be made to the Department of English, Wayne State University, Attn.: Royanne Smith, 5057 Woodward Ave, Ste. 9408, Detroit, MI 48202.