Crossover Award

Last year, I applied for and won the Crossover Award from the Hurston/Wright Foundation. As queer, Black artist in his late twenties, I’ve had a lot of hurdles along the way, last year included. At a low point in my career, winning the award gave me affirmation and some resolve to move forward in my journey to getting my first book published.

Prince Shakur, 2021 Crossover Award Winner

The Hurston/Wright Crossover Award, sponsored by ESPN’s Andscape (formerly known as The Undefeated), honors probing, provocative, and original new voices in literary nonfiction. Named after the most common dribbling move in basketball, the Crossover Award, aims to highlight an unconventional winner who writes across genres and can effectively crossover between writing styles and techniques. The name also speaks to the potential of the award winner to transition from obscurity to the spotlight.

This award celebrates one writer who contributes a unique perspective to the literary nonfiction landscape and whose writing exemplifies Andspace’s “Not Conventional, Never Boring” mantra.

The award submission period opened in January 2022 and closes April 1, 2023.  The winner of the award, which includes a cash prize, will be announced this summer and honored at the 2023 Annual Legacy Awards Ceremony in October. We are no longer accepting submissions for the 2023 Crossover Award. Please join our newsletter to stay updated on when the portal will open for the 2024 Crossover Award.

Email inquiries to programs [at] hurstonwright.org

Unpublished, Black writers who are 18 years and older. Writers who have published books, including poetry books or fiction narratives, through any publishing platform, are not eligible.
All work submitted must be original and unpublished at the time of submission. Hurston/Wright does not accept simultaneous submissions. Submissions must be works of literary nonfiction. Essays should explore and illuminate the various intersections of culture and society through innovative storytelling, original reporting and/or provocative commentary. Submissions may be stand-alone essays or excerpts from a book in progress. Author name and contact information should not appear on the submission. All submissions will be judged anonymously by a distinguished published author of literary nonfiction. Winning works may be published in whole or in part by Hurston/Wright online or in print. Your submission gives the Hurston/Wright Foundation and our sponsor, ESPN’s Andspace, permission to publish an excerpt or the entire work. The author retains all rights. Hurston/Wright maintains the right to decline any submission not deemed eligible.
The original creative work submitted should be formatted as follows: No more than 20 pages double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12-point font, and within 1-inch margins. Put title of the work on each page of the submission. Do not put the author’s name on the pages of the work. All submissions will be screened and judged anonymously. Provide a separate page with the title of the work, name and contact information of author. Questions may be sent to programs@hurstonwright.org
$2,000 to one recipient Tuition-free attendance at a Hurston/Wright summer writer’s workshop Complimentary ticket to the Annual Legacy Awards Ceremony in October

Visit application portal for more information

Submission Fee: None

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Agnes Redvil 2023 Crossover Award Winner

“I enjoy using prose to speak of what is not often said, exploring the many taboos and intimacies that occur between human beings, and finding beautiful words to say terrible things. The Virgin Well is my first memoir-style narrative, and one of my first non-fiction works, but it doesn’t escape this attachment I have to things that are quite terrifying, familial, and horrifically feminine.“

Valerie White 2022 Crossover Award Winner

“I got into a space where I’ve forgiven everyone, especially myself, which is something that I had not done until recently. So, once I got into that headspace,  I was able to write and when I saw what was being written, I was like ‘wow’. Then, I realized I have to share this because somebody else is going through the same thing.  I want to be able to help, even if it’s just one person.”

Watch the Q & A with Valerie in a special episode of The Black Writer’s Studio.

Prince Shakur 2021 Crossover Award Winner

“Fall in love with the process. Steal away stories for yourself. Dedicate yourself to the part that is creative and daring and exciting. ”

Read a Q&A with Prince and an excerpt from his winning entry, “In Exodus: an unamerican memoir.”

Melanie Farmer 2020 Crossover Award Winner

“The word “aspiring” implies that you’re not yet a writer. If you delete that word and just call yourself a writer, then you have to act. If you have no writing that you have made or are working on, then the first action to take is to make some. ”

Read a Q&A with Melanie and an excerpt from her winning entry, “Rolling: A Ladies’ Guide to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.”