Today’s the day: here are the semifinalists and finalists of the Spring 2025 Black River Chapbook Competition! We’ve narrowed it down to 10 finalists and 11 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
We Free Kings by Dante Di Stefano
Fever Tract by Alban Fischer
Around the Country a Chasm by Gabriel Furshong
California Pompeii by Emelie Griffin
Night Breakfast by Alex Niemi
Walk on Your Knees by Charlie Sorrenson
Cartograph by Arman Salem
Strangebirdautopsy by Taylor D. Waring
Noah and the Long Road Home by Gina Warren
Grave Robber by Hannah V Warren
SEMIFINALISTS
Fragment by Chelsea Bunn
Foolish by Barbara Diehl
Water Animals by Rachel Furey
From Out of the Darkness by Jonathan Greenhause
Care Instructions by James King
Intemperance by Kathryn Kulpa
The Bloodshed in Her Pocket by Stacey Lounsberry
Survival Witness by Yetvart Majian
We begin by sleeping, then climbing to the surface by Michelle Meier
Manic Pixie American Dream by Bleah Patterson
Kerosene and Light by Stephanie Rogers