Literary Awards are given each year by the Illinois Arts Council for the publication of new work by Illinois writers in Illinois not-for-profit literary magazines with editorial offices in Illinois.
Companion awards of $1,000 will be given to selected Illinois writers and to the magazines that published their work. The awards recognize Illinois writers and help promote greater awareness of non-commercial publishing in the state.
Not-for-profit literary magazines are defined as those whose primary mission is to publish contemporary poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction.* Creative nonfiction is distinguished from non-fiction by its strong narrative, literary quality, found in personal essays or memoirs. This does not include works that are primarily analytical, scholarly or journalistic. Interviews, reviews and literary translations are ineligible.
*Web-based publications are eligible as long as they are registered as an Illinois not-for-profit corporation and meet all other eligibility requirements. Web-based journals should contact IAC staff prior to applying to this program
- Nominations for awards will be accepted from the editorial staff (those individuals responsible for selecting work) of magazines for works published during the period between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2003.
- Nominations will only be accepted from magazine editors. Nominations from individuals will not be accepted.
- The magazines must be not-for-profit literary publications that are not primarily vehicles for the publication of a school’s faculty and students.
- Magazines must be published in Illinois at least once a year during both the nomination period and the IAC program year.
- Writers nominated must be living Illinois residents at the date of application, March 1, 2004, or who are legally Illinois residents but who are traveling out-of-state, (e.g. teachers on leave of absence). In addition, writers need to have been Illinois residents for one year prior to the application deadline. Writers recommended to receive awards will be required to submit proof of Illinois residence prior to claiming their awards.
- Only works of fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction, never previously published, will be considered.
- Editorial
staff may not nominate their own work from their own magazine.
Two awards of $1,000 will be given to selected Illinois writers and to the magazines that published their work.
Artistic quality is the sole criterion for review.
Applications are reviewed via telephone conference call by a panel of three out-of-state jurors who recommend the award recipients based on the quality of the writing. These recommendations are presented to the Council for its consideration and approval. No single literary magazine or writer will receive more than two awards.
The deadline for Literary Awards is March 1.
- Submit the original, completed Literary Awards application cover sheet with an original signature and three copies (for a total of four) along with the required attachments to the Illinois Arts Council by the application deadline date.
- Editors may submit a maximum of ten entries, including no more than five poems, five works of fiction, and/or five works of creative non-fiction.
- More than one piece by the same writer can be submitted, but each will count as a separate nomination.
- Collaborative pieces are ineligible.
The following materials must be submitted together at the time of applying for an application to be considered eligible:
- Original application packet collated and stapled in the following order: original signed Literary Awards cover sheet, a list of nominated works, and a one-page description of the magazine. Refer to the Companion to the Application for requirements on the list of nominated works and the one-page description.
- Three copies of the application packet.
- One copy of proof of not-for-profit status. What is accepted as proof of not-for-profit status?
- Five copies of each issue containing nominated works. Paper markers should be inserted in each issue where the nominated work appears. Materials will not be returned.
No changes or additions to support materials will be accepted.
Applications must be postmarked by the deadline. Hand delivered applications must be received by 5pm. If the deadline occurs on a weekend or legal holiday, the next weekday automatically becomes the deadline date. Applications may be mailed or hand-delivered to the following address:
Illinois Arts Council
James R. Thompson Center
100 W. Randolph, Suite 10-500
Chicago, IL 60601-3298
NOTE: Applicants hand-delivering their applications must visit the building’s SERVICE CENTER on the ground floor to have their application package scanned prior to delivering it to the IAC offices on the 10th floor. In addition, applicants must bring photo identification, such as a driver’s license, to gain access to the IAC offices.
- The application is received at the IAC office and assigned an application number. Acknowledgment of application receipt will be sent within eight weeks of the application deadline. Acknowledgment will include the application number to be used in future inquiries regarding that application.
- Applications that have been ruled ineligible or incomplete will not be reviewed.
- Copies of the applications provided by the applicant are sent to out-of-state jurors for review. Out-of-state jurors review and evaluate all applications in May.
Announcement of grantees, and jurors will be released in June. Each applicant will be notified in writing of the Council’s decision.
grant notification requirements
Organizations that receive an IAC grant will be required, as part of their grant agreement, to notify by letter their state representative, state senator and the Office of the Governor indicating the IAC grant amount and the project or program it helps support. Copies of these three letters must be submitted to the IAC with the signed grant agreements, cash request and other required documents before grant funds will be released. Names of the individuals to be addressed can be obtained from your County Board of Elections or at www.elections.state.il.us
The Internal Revenue Code provides that the full amount of Literary Awards is taxable to its recipient. If you have any questions about your own income tax liability, you should contact the Internal Revenue Service or tax counsel.
You are encouraged to print this section as a reference for completing the application.
It may be helpful to use the printout as a checklist for compiling your application.
list of nominated works
A PDF form is included with the application download. List issues in chronological order and individual nominations in sequential order.
One-page description of magazine
Include the following information in the one-page description of the magazine.
- Do you have Editorial Board members? if so, how many.
- How many issues are published each year?
- How many issues were published the last full calendar year?
- What is the average circulation per issue?
- What is the print run per issue?
- How many subscribers does the magazine have?
- Describe the type of circulation (local, state or national; libraries, bookstores, etc.).
An interactive PDF (Portable Document Format) file is available for download. In order to open this file, Adobe Acrobat Reader must be installed on your computer. It is free and easy to download from www.adobe.com
IAC Staff Contact
Tamara Kubacki
Program Director
313/814-6740
Tamara.Kubacki@Illinois.gov