Bess W. Scott Scholarship Fund marks 28 years of scholarships for journalists and writers
AUSTIN — Since the Bess W. Scott Scholarship Fund's first scholarship in 1991, $72,800 has been granted to sixty promising reporters, writers, and authors. The three $2,000 scholarships awarded for 2017 are:
Cecille Marcato
Warren Wilson MFA Program for Writers
Scott Scribes Scholarship
“This is the nicest thing that's ever happened to me,” said Cecille Marcato, 70, an Austin-based poet and teacher. She will graduate in January 2019 with an MFA in writing at Warren Wilson College in North Carolina, which boasts Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning faculty and students.
Marcato has attended Austin Community College and taken poetry workshops at the University of Texas at Austin. She also has studied in Mexico City, Paris, Vienna and at the University of Iowa.
After receiving her MFA, she plans to “teach creative writing at the community or four-year college level and resume my volunteer work,” which, in the past, has led her to soup kitchens, Habitat for Humanity and public schools. She has offered free help in preparing college essays for low-income, college-bound students, and plans to continue that work.
“Being part of and fostering a community of writers is wonderful for the individual soul and the world,” Marcato says.
Mary O. Parker
Bread Loaf Environmental Writers’ Conference
Scott Scribes Scholarship
“I need guidance in making the leap from being really good at nature writing to being really good at serious environmental writing,” said Mary Parker, 51, in her application. She used her award money to attend the Bread Loaf Environmental Writers’ Conference in Middlebury College, Vermont, this summer and reported: “What a great learning experience. I honestly believe this pushed my writing ahead more than anything else I have ever done.”
A Smithville resident, Parker works as a full-time freelance writer and instructor and has been published in dozens of magazines and literary journals.
Texas A&M University Press recently published her boo, Explore Texas, a Nature Travel Guide, and there are two sequels to come, one for those with accessibility needs and the other for kids. When we checked in with her in December, she was in South America gathering material for a nature travel book about the Amazon Basin.
Parker says the BWS scholarship "made my year" and was a huge morale boost, pushing her to take more chances with her writing.
Corrie Coleman
Baylor University
BWS Journalism Scholarship
Corrie Coleman, a 21-year-old Baylor University senior, is a New Media Journalism major with a passion for shining light on some of the dark corners of the world.
During the fall 2018 semester, she was editor-in-chief of Focus Magazine, a biannual student publication at Baylor. Using the theme “Fearless,” the magazine featured topics such as local entrepreneurs, Waco activists, and students fighting cancer.
She also has written for the Baylor Lariat student newspaper. During the semester before graduation in May 2019 she will continue her internship at 360 Solutions, a nonprofit marketing company which provides photography services to Waco nonprofits. After graduation, she plans to work as communications director at Graffiti Church in New York City.
“It’s such an honor to receive a scholarship in the name of Bess Whitehead Scott,” said Coleman. “Her passion for writing and pursuit of truth inspires me as a woman, a student, and a journalist.” The scholarship's namesake graduated from Baylor in 1912.
The 2018 BWS scholarship applications open on February 1, 2019 and close on April 1, 2019. The online applications and guidelines are available at austincf.academicworks.com.
Donations to the fund may be made at www.austincf.org/Donors-Fundholders/Give-Now.
(From organization’s press release)
Submissions open for Writers’ League of Texas 2019 Manuscript Contest
AUSTIN — Have you been working hard on an unpublished manuscript that's finally ready to see the light of day? Are you looking for some constructive feedback on your work-in-progress? Would you like the chance to sit down with a literary agent in person to discuss your project?
If so, you're invited to submit a short synopsis and the opening pages of your unpublished work to the Writers' League of Texas’s (WLT) nineteenth annual manuscript contest. It’s not necessary to live in Texas in order to enter this contest.
Winners of the 2019 manuscript contest will:
- Win a free registration to the WLT's 2019 Agents & Editors Conference (June 27-30, 2019, in Austin)
- Meet one-on-one with a literary agent in your category or genre (in person at our annual conference or via phone call) if you're one of our ten winners
- Be recognized during the opening session of the 2019 Agents & Editors Conference and in the printed program (if you're a winner or a finalist)
- Receive valuable, specific written feedback on your work.
To Enter:
- Review the complete list of contest rules and formatting instructions.
- Fill out the online entry form and submit your payment online via credit card or PayPal.
- The entry form will prompt you to upload your file. Please upload only one file. It should include both your synopsis and the opening of your manuscript. Acceptable formats are .doc, .docx, and .pdf.
- Once you upload your documents and submit your payment, you will receive an automated confirmation email. There is nothing further you need to do at this time.
Submission Categories
- Fiction: General Fiction (including Literary Fiction), Thriller/Action-Adventure, Mystery, Romance, Science-Fiction/Fantasy, and Historical Fiction
- Nonfiction: General Nonfiction (excluding Memoir) and Memoir
- Children’s: Middle Grade (chapter books and novels only—no picture books) and Young Adult
Entrance Fees
- To receive the optional written critique, the entrance fees are $55 for WLT members and $65 for nonmembers.
- The entrance fees are $25 for WLT members and $35 nonmembers if you opt out of a written critique.
Your WLT membership must be current in order to receive the member discount. As proof of current membership, you will be asked to provide your member number. If you’re not sure where to find your member number, log into www.writersleague.org and click on “my account." If you can't locate your member number or if you're not sure whether your membership is still current, you may contact the WLT office at (512) 499-8914.
You may submit up to four entries in each category of this contest. Each entry requires separate payment. Submit a separate entry form and payment for each entry.
The deadline to enter is midnight CST on January 31, 2019. WLT expects to notify winners and finalists and have critiques to all entrants by mid-May.
For further questions, please read the FAQs or email sara@writersleague.org
(From organization’s press release)
Author James Patterson’s Holiday Bookseller Bonuses for 2018 include eight Texas recipients
NEW YORK — James Patterson has renewed a most welcome holiday publishing tradition — bonuses for independent bookstore employees.
The best-selling author announced Tuesday that 333 workers each will receive $750. The winners, nominated by customers and colleagues among others, are listed on the web site of the American Booksellers Association. Patterson has given more than $1 million to individual book sellers over the past five years and has donated millions to libraries and literacy programs.
In a statement Tuesday, Patterson said book sellers have used the money for everything from fixing a car to paying a dental bill. He said he was happy to make “a small difference” in the lives of people who had helped so many in their communities.
Congratulations are in order for:
Shannon Brewer, BookPeople, (Austin)
Anna Brown, Katy Budget Books (Houston)
Thu Doan, Brazos Bookstore (Houston)
Fernando A. Flores, Malvern Books (Austin)
Chelsea Green, MyBookBox (Murphy)
Stefani Kelley, The Book Nook (Brenham)
John Kwiatkowski, Murder By the Book (Houston)
Susan Post, BookWoman (Austin)
For the entire list of bookseller awards, visit
www.bookweb.org/james-patterson-holiday-bonus-recipients-2018
(From organization’s press release)
