The deadline for the Dzanc Prize has been extended to March 1, 2011. This is a great opportunity for an emerging writer interested in community service. From the Dzanc website:
In 2007, to further its mission of fostering literary excellence, community involvement, and education, Dzanc Books created the Dzanc Prize, which provides monetary aid in the sum of $5,000, to a writer of literary fiction. All writers applying for the Dzanc Prize must have a work-in-progress they can submit for review, and present the judges with a Community Service Program they can facilitate somewhere in the United States. Such programs may include anything deemed “educational” in relation to writing. Examples would include: working with HIV patients to help them write their stories; doing a series of workshops at a drop-in youth homeless center; running writing programs in inner-city schools; or working with older citizens looking to write their memoirs. All community programs under the Dzanc Prize must run for a full year.
The submissions for the Dzanc Prize are reviewed by a panel consisting of Steve Gillis, Dan Wickett, Steven Seighman, and Keith Taylor.
Previous winners include Eugene Cross, Kodi Scheer, and Laura van den Berg. For full guidelines, see the Dzanc website.