It is with great joy that we bring you the winners of our 2015-2016 chapbook contest! Please help us congratulate these talented & fierce poets, Sarah Merrow and Vivian Faith Prescott.

Judge’s Selection

Our esteemed judge, Mary Ann McFadden, has chosen Sarah Merrow’s superb manuscript, Unpacking the China, from a pool of nearly 200 entries and 10 finalists. We’re so grateful for Mary Ann’s time and the deep attention she gave to the judging process. Mary Ann shared her thoughts on the winning submission:

“This manuscript immediately caught my eye for its distinct voice. I put it aside because I didn’t want to be influenced by the dazzling line arrangement of the first poem. But the more I read, the more this one stood out. I read it several times, eventually just for pleasure, and to learn from the author’s brilliant word choices, her confidence, her spare and elegant use of language. These are true poems, a pleasure and a revelation to read. The author has so much to say that matters and she says it in language that is intelligent, taut, and accomplished. I congratulate her, I bow to her, and I bow to you at Quill’s Edge for making it possible to put these wonderful poems into the world.”

Want more gorgeous poetry in your life? When you buy this book, you’re supporting the work of women poets in community!  You can pre-order Sarah Merrow’s chapbook here:

Unpacking the China
by Sarah Merrow (2016)

About the poet: Sarah Merrow was born a New Englander and now inhabits Baltimore, Maryland. When not writing or playing music, she rebuilds concert flutes. With this vocation, it’s inevitable; she hears music in poetry and poetry in music. She studied English, German, Japanese, and Spanish — and as a result, has trouble limiting Scrabble choices to English.

Editorial Selection

The QuillsEdge Press Editorial Board selected Vivian Faith Prescott’s manuscript, Our Tents Are Small Volcanoes, to be the second publication from our 2015-16 contest. Here are some comments from a few of our readers:

“Each poem a star, the stars placed exquisitely in the manuscript’s deep dark sky. Marvelous deep, a manuscript which refuses erasure… of a language, a way of life, a person, a people.” – Jane Seitel (Founder, President of the Board)

“The feel of these poems just hits my core… Grateful to have had the chance to read them.” – Jude-Laure Denis (Vice-President of the Board)

“Our Tents are Small Volcanoes is an elegantly paced collection that built in intensity until it took my breath away. Balanced between longer narrative-descriptive poems that chronicle the ‘migration’ and short lyrics that evoke, mostly through landscape, the psyche and cultural history of the people to whom the narrator belongs–structured in this skillful way, the reader feels the wrenching effect of displacement, the strenuous efforts of acclimatization, and the poignancy of the quest for identity.” – Lucia Galloway (Winner, 2014-15 contest with The Garlic Peelers)

Want more gorgeous poetry in your life? When you buy this book, you’re supporting the work of women poets in community!  You can pre-order Vivian Faith Prescott’s chapbook here:

Our Tents Are Small Volcanoes
by Vivian Faith Prescott (2016)

About the poet: I’m a fifth generation Sámi-American and was born and raised on the small island of Wrangell in Southeastern Alaska. I live in Wrangell near the Red Alder Head Village site at my family’s fishcamp, aka Mickey’s Fishcamp. I have an MFA from the University of Alaska and a Ph.D. in Cross Cultural Studies. My poetry has appeared in The North American Review, Yellow Medicine Review, Poecology, Drunken Boat and elsewhere. I’m the founding member of Blue Canoe Writers in both Sitka and Wrangell with an emphasis on mentoring Indigenous writers. I’ve been nominated twice for a Pushcart Prize and was a Joy Harjo Award semi-finalist. I received honorable mention in Boulevard’s poetry contest for emerging writers and, in 2012, was awarded the Jason Wenger Award for Literary Excellence. I’m the author of two poetry chapbooks and a full length collection, The Hide of My Tongue.

Psst… Order Now and Save Up to $11

As a pre-order special, if you purchase both winning chapbooks, you’ll save $5 off the cover price AND receive free shipping. We are so grateful for your support!

Applauding our Finalists and Semi-Finalists

We offer kudos and recognition to the finalists and semi-finalists of our “To Inhabit” chapbook contest as well. When you order one (or both!) of the winning chapbooks, you’ll get to enjoy the inclusion of an anthology of our Selected Finalists.

Please help us celebrate the following poets:

Finalists

Wendy Carlisle
Pat Daneman
Mary Hanford
Lois Harrod
Sandra Marshburn
Cynthia Neely
Judith Ryan
Jennifer Wheelock

Semi-finalists

Helen Engelhardt
Deborah George
Akua Lezil Hope
Nancy Jentsch
Lindsey Martin-Bowen
Sharon Scholl
Edwina Trentham
Mary Van Schoelandt
Wendi White
Melinda Wolf

Last, but most certainly not least, our wholehearted thanks to each entrant in this year’s chapbook competition. You have enriched our lives with your poetry, and your support makes it possible for us to publish and celebrate the voices of women poets over 50. We are profoundly grateful to you. We’re excited about many ideas we have for making this community of writers stronger, deeper, and more powerful, and we hope you’ll join us as we continue on this great adventure!

To stay informed about new & upcoming opportunities from QuillsEdge Press, please follow our blog, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or subscribe to our email list. Thank you! Your support truly makes a difference. ♥