n cooperation with other groups and with an aim to promote interest in the state’s literature, the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association annually conducts the following competitions for North Carolina authors:

NORTH CAROLINA BOOK AWARDS

The Ragan Old North State Award Cup for Nonfiction The North Carolina Literary and Historical Association (est. 2003, successor to Mayflower Cup) The award honors Sam Ragan, poet, critic, publisher, and the first Secretary of the present North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. • 2009 nominees • 2008 nominees • Past Winners • Winners of the Patterson Cup, 1905-1922 • Winners of the Mayflower Cup, 1931-2002 • Mayflower Cup, R.I.P. by Michael Hill

The Roanoke-Chowan Award for Poetry The Roanoke-Chowan Group of Writers and Allied Artists awarded since 1953 • 2009 nominees • 2008 nominees • Past Winners

The Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction The Historical Book Club of North Carolina awarded since 1952 • 2009 nominees • 2008 nominees • Past Winners

The Mary Ruffin Poole Award for First Work of Fiction The Poole Foundation awarded 1999-2002 • Past Winners

The American Association of University Women Award for Juvenile Literature American Association of University Women of North Carolina awarded since 1953 • 2009 nominees • 2008 nominees • Past Winners

For a work to be eligible for consideration for these competitions:

• It must be an original book published during the twelve months ending June 30 of the year for which the award is given;

• Its author(s) must have maintained legal or physical residence, or a combination of both, in North Carolina for the three years preceding the close of the contest period; and

• Three (3) copies of each entry must be submitted to the Awards Coordinator for the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association no later than July 15 of the year for which the award is given.

In reaching a decision, members of each panel of judges will consider creative and imaginative quality, excellence of style, universality of appeal, and relevance to North Carolina and her people. For the Old North State Award, the extent to which the author has covered the subject, making use of all available source materials, giving a well-balanced presentation, and accomplishing the purpose the author set out to achieve also will be considered. Technical and scientific works are not eligible. All works will be judged without regard to length. In the fiction category, self-published and subsidy published works will not be considered.

E-mail inquiries accepted at michael.hill@ncdcr.gov. Deadline for receipt of nominated books each year is July 15.

The Christopher Crittenden Memorial Award recognizes significant contributions to the preservation of North Carolina history while the R. Hunt Parker Memorial Award acknowledges literary contributions.

At the annual meeting each year the Historical Society of North Carolina presents the R. D. W. Connor Award for the best article to have appeared in the North Carolina Historical Review in the preceding year and the Hugh T. Lefler Award for the best paper by an undergraduate student.

The Student Publications Awards are held each year to judge the best literary magazines at the middle and high school level.

© 2007 North Carolina Office of Archives & History. All rights reserved.