Juniper Prizes

Juniper Prize for Poetry

In 1975 the University of Massachusetts Press established the Juniper Prize for Poetry, an annual award for a selected manuscript of poems to be published by the Press. The award is named in honor of the poet Robert Francis (1901-1987), who for many years made his home at Fort Juniper in Amherst. The winning poet now receives a prize of $1,500. All submissions are judged anonymously by a panel of distinguished poets. Submissions are accepted between August 1 and September 30 yearly. Please see guidelines for submissions.

Juniper Prize for Fiction

In 2004, in collaboration with the UMass Amherst MFA Program for Poets and Writers, the Press established the Juniper Prize for Fiction to honor and publish outstanding works of literary fiction. The prize is judged each year by a distinguished writer of fiction and carries a cash award of $1,500 upon publication. Submissions are accepted between August 1 and September 30 yearly. Please see guidelines for submissions.

Juniper Prize Winners for 2013

Dana Roeser has won the 2013 Juniper Prize for Poetry for her collection The Theme of Tonight's Party Has Been Changed. 

Rod Val Moore has won the 2013 Juniper Prize for Fiction for his novel A History of Hands.

For more information about the winner of the 2013 Juniper Prize for Poetry, please click here.

For more information about the winner of the 2013 Juniper Prize for Fiction, please click here.