Today’s the day: here are the semifinalists and finalists of the Spring 2023 Black River Chapbook Competition! We’ve narrowed it down to 8 finalists and 10 semifinalists, which was not easy! We received many compelling manuscripts, and we deeply appreciate every one of you. Thank you for trusting us with your work, and thank you to the BRCC editorial team for your time & care.
An editorial panel consisting of BLP editors and judges (BLP chapbook authors, including previous BRCC winners) read each entry without identifying information. Every entry was kept anonymous until today, so we can unveil the lists to you!
To all the semifinalists, congratulations & thank you!
We will announce the winner from among our list of finalists shortly.
FINALISTS (alphabetical)
Opium & Ambergris, by Colin Dekeersgieter (poetry)
Night Nurses, by Scott Frey (prose)
Strangers We Know By Heart, by Annie Marhefka (prose)
Tell Me Again, by Dana McKenna & Ben Clark (poetry)
Opheliac, by Emma Sloan (poetry)
IS, by Anne-Marie Thompson (poetry)
Horsemouth and Aquariumhead, by Elizabeth Horner Turner (prose)
Rules of Flight, by Mary Winsor (prose)
SEMIFINALISTS (alphabetical)
The After End, by Jennifer Arcuni (prose)
Portland, by Allison Blevins (poetry)
Appeals & Grievances, by Micaela Bombard (poetry)
Hysteria, Florida, by Suzanne Highland (poetry)
intrnt grl, by Monica Kim (poetry)
Fruitful, by Stephanie Kirby (poetry)
In the Wake, by Ariel Machell (poetry)
Transient: Nocturnes for Squatters, by Dawn Manning (poetry)
As for the Day after Tomorrow, This Is the Day after Tomorrow, by Kate Northrop (poetry)
Take One Before Bed, by Augustijn van Gaalen (prose)
**If you submitted a chapbook manuscript to our June Open Reading Period, please know that we are still reading and considering submissions, and responses will be sent out on a rolling basis this fall.