Julia Keith Shrout Short Story Prizes
Established in 1940
Description. The Shrout Short Story Prize is awarded for the best short stories by graduates or undergraduates at the University of California at Berkeley. One story per student may be submitted. For complete information, read the General Rules.
Prize Amounts. A total of $400 is awarded. First Prize $200; Second Prize $125; Third Prize $75. Federal financial aid regulations require that all awards received by a student can not exceed their financial aid need as determined by a congressional formula. It is possible, therefore, that the cash award for a prize could reduce some component of a needy student’s package of financial aid awards. In these cases, the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office attempts first to reduce loan or work aid; fellowships, grants, or scholarships are only reduced as a last resort.
Deadline. Submissions must be hand-delivered by the author to the Undergraduate Scholarships, Prizes, and Honors Office, 220 Sproul Hall, no later than 4 p.m. on December 1. Authors may submit only one entry. The author's name must not appear on the entry.
History of the Prize. From the Regents' Minutes, February 9, 1940: "The will of Julia Keith Shrout, a resident of Santa Clara County, California, contained the following bequest: 'I intrust my lots 25 and 26 Inner Harbor Richmond to Ethyl Nugent for a memorial fund . . . to be used as the prize . . . each year for the best short story by any University of California student. The lots not to be sold until they bring twenty-five hundred dollars. The memorial fund to be the Oliver Porter Shrout, Morrison Earl Shrout, and Julia Keith Shrout fund.'
2010-11: 17 entries; 1st prize Leila Mansouri ($200); 2nd prize Jenny (Yi) Xie ($100); 3rd prize Betty Ho and Soleil David ($50 each)
2009-10: 27 entries; 1st prize Lisa Santaniello ($150); 2nd prize Dena Fehrenbacher ($130); 3rd prize Angelene Smith ($120)
2008-09: 25 entries; 1st prize Ezra Carlsen ($200); 2nd prize Thomas Gamburg ($125); 3rd prize Natalie Tsang ($75); Honorable Mention Joe Cadora
2007-08: 11 entries; Joseph T. Cadora ($400)
2006-07: 26 entries; 1st Place: Liliana Loofbourow ($200), 2nd Place: Jane Park ($125), 3rd Place: Bob Meinke ($75)
2005-06: 31 entries; 1st Place: Jeff Lennon ($200), 2nd Place: Keleigh Friedrich ($125), 3rd Place: Jonathan Lewis ($75); Honorable Mentions: Jeffrey Takaki, Luda Hoe, Kathryn Farris & Dayna West
2004-05: 36 entries; 1st prize-Jeff Takaki ($200); 2nd prize, Mark Thomas ($125); 3rd prize, Arielle Simmons ($75); Honorable Mention: Martine Charnou
2003-04: 23 entries; Katherine Willett and Dorothy Couchman ($200 each);Honorable Mention: Jim Shoffner
2002-03: 24 entries; 1st prize- Lital Levy ($200); 2nd prize- Michelle Mecklenburg and Arielle Simmons ($100 each)
2001-02: 23 entries; 1st prize awarded to Oliver Hall ($200); 2nd prize awarded to Paul Lee ($125); 3rd prize awarded to Emily Teplin ($75)
2000-01: 25 entries; Karen Lee ($200), Dana Stevens ($100), Julie Andeson ($100)
1999-00: 25 entries; 1st prize awarded to Melissa Barshop, ($250); runner-up awarded to Lulu Li, ($150); Honorable Mention awarded to Daniel Perez
1998-99: 40 entries; 1st prize awarded to Hillary Commins ($200); 2nd prize awarded to Aina Hunter ($100); 3rd prizes awarded to Caleb Smith and Jo Ann Virata ($50 each)
1997-98: 28 entries; 1st prize awarded to John Spudich ($200); 2nd prize awarded to Jose Alaniz ($125); 3rd prize awarded to Anusha Ginivasan ($75); Honorable Mention awarded to Bridget Dawn Hoida and Jennifer Stroud