* ESC - close the search window
Askold Melnyczuk
Askold Melnyczuk wins the prize for the best essay from the US University
28.03.2025
An American writer of Ukrainian descent, Askold Melnyczuk has won the Great River Review and the University of Minnesota’s prize for best essay. Melnyczuk was awarded the best essay prize by the Walter Nathan Foundation for Literary Initiatives, which operates in association with the University of Minnesota.
The Pink Poetry Prize was awarded to Janice N. Harrington, an American poet and children’s author, as well as a lecturer at the University of Illinois. Soon, the University of Minnesota, which presents both prizes, will host a reading featuring both laureates.
Askold Melnyczuk is an American writer, translator, editor, and recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the George Jarrett Award for Distinguished Public Service in Literature and the McGinnis Prize for Fiction.
Melnyczuk was born in 1954 in New Jersey to a Ukrainian family. His literary work is deeply linked to Ukraine. Melnyczuk has translated works by Ukrainian authors and published them in his own literary magazine, Agni. Melnyczuk has also written about Ukraine in his works and has recently become a regular participant of literary events in Ukraine. Melnyczuk first visited his parents’ homeland in 1990.
Great River Review is a literary journal published by the University of Minnesota. Founded in 1977 by Emilio DeGrazia, the journal has been published by the Anderson Center biannually from 1996 to 2016. Works published in Great River Review have been reprinted in such publications as the Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Press, Best American Travel Essays, and Best American Sports Stories. The magazine won the 2002 Minnesota State Book Award for its 25th issue.
The Walter Nathan Literary Initiatives Foundation Essay Prize is awarded by the University of Minnesota. The University’s Creative Writing Program established the Walter Nathan Literary Initiatives Fund in 2022. The foundation grants a prize for the best essay and organizes a literary festival that includes high school students from accross the Twin Cities. It was founded through a donation from Michael and Julie Kaplan, alumni of the College of Liberal Arts, in memory of their parents.
Main image: Screenshot of YOUTUBE video of Askold Melnyczuk, Creative Writing, UMass Boston
Copy editing: Ben Angel
This publication is sponsored by the Chytomo’s Patreon community
the more you read, the greater the possibilities
