A note from Director Michael Collier about the Katharine Bakeless Nason Literary Publications Prizes:
After seventeen years and the publication of almost fifty debut books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, I regret to say that the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference will no longer sponsor the Katharine Bakeless Nason Literary Publications Prizes. Reasons leading to this change include a decision at Graywolf Press to end its publishing partnership with the Bakeless Prizes as well as the increasing work and expense for the Conference to run such an ambitious publication program.
The conclusion of the publication prizes, however, has suggested other exciting and important ways the Bakeless Endowment can support emerging literary writers. As a result, in 2014, the Bakeless Endowment will shift from its publication prizes to a new and wider range of initiatives, including fellowships and scholarships to attend the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and the funding of residencies at writers and artists communities. While I’m sorry we will no longer be publishing literary books, the legacy of the Bakeless Prizes will live on in these new initiatives. Once we finalize the details regarding our new plans for the Bakeless Endowment, we will post them on the Bread Loaf website.
On behalf of the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, I want to thank those who have supported the Katharine Bakeless Nason Literary Publication Prizes over the years by submitting manuscripts, encouraging others to submit, spreading the word, or purchasing books. I’m particularly grateful to Noreen Cargill, the Bread Loaf Administrative Manager, as well as the two Bakeless Contest Coordinators, Ian Pounds and Jennifer Bates, and the final judges and many preliminary readers, all of whom worked hard for the success of the Bakeless Prizes.
I will miss this important connection to the American literary community that Bread Loaf has fostered, but I am also looking forward to helping the Bakeless Endowment move into its next phase of supporting emerging literary writers.
Sincerely,
Michael Collier
Director
