A student from China has captured first place in Hollins University’s 60th Annual Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest.
Claire Zhou of Dulwich College Suzhou in Suzhou, China, won the competition’s top prize for her poem, “Translation.” She will receive a $350 cash prize; publication in Cargoes, Hollins’ award-winning student literary magazine; ten copes of Cargoes; a renewable scholarship of up to $5,000 provided through the Creative Talent Award in Creative Writing for a total value of $20,000 in scholarship funds over four years (applicable if she enrolls at Hollins); and free tuition and housing for the university’s Hollinsummer creative writing program for rising ninth through 12th grade students.
A second poem by Zhou received Honorable Mention.
Six students earned second-place honors in this year’s contest. Each will receive publication in Cargoes; two copies of the magazine; a renewable scholarship of up to $1,000 provided through the Creative Talent Award in Creative Writing for a total value of $4,000 in scholarship funds over four years (applicable if they enroll at Hollins); and a $500 scholarship to apply toward Hollinsummer.
The second-place winners include:
Hannah Ahn
Marriotts Ridge High School
Marriottsville, MD
Title: “I Saw You in a Dead Deer by the Side of the Road”
(A second poem was a Finalist)
Sophia Hernandez
School Without Walls
Washington, DC
Title: “Urban Mythology”
(A second poem received Honorable Mention)
Fiona Jin
Adlai E. Stevenson High School
Lincolnshire, IL
Title: “Laterality”
Allison Kim
Fine Arts Center
Greenville, SC
Title: “Eulogy”
(A second poem received Honorable Mention)
Ela Kini
Hunter College High School
New York, NY
Title: “All-American Prayer to Highway Traffic”
(A second poem received Honorable Mention)
Melinda Wang
The Archer School for Girls
Los Angeles, CA
Title: “nǚ”
(A second poem received Honorable Mention)
The Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest awards prizes for the best poems submitted by young women who are sophomores or juniors in high school or preparatory school or homeschooled. This year, 399 contestants from 34 states, the District of Columbia, and two countries outside the U.S. (China and Thailand) entered works for consideration. In addition to the seven first- and second-place recipients, there were 18 Finalists. Ninety-six students received Honorable Mention for their submissions.
Nancy Thorp, a member of Hollins’ class of 1960, was a young poet who showed great promise as an undergraduate student. Following her death in 1962, her family established the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest to encourage and recognize the work of young poets.
