Friends of Writers Summer 2025 Community Digest: Awards, Print Magazine Publications, and Other Achievements

Many in the Friends of Writers network found success in the first half of 2025 with awards, publications, and more. Congratulations to those listed below. While celebrating these wonderful projects, be sure to check out our special digest dedicated to book publications.

Headshot of writer Lynette D'Amico

Lynette D’Amico (fiction ’13)

  • 2024 Gournay Prize for Nonfiction winner, for her essay collection, Men I Hate, to be published by Ohio State University Press in February 2026

Daye Phillippo (poetry ’14)

  • 2024 Codhill Press Pauline Uchmanowicz Poetry Award winner for poetry collection, Blue Between Owls.

Grace Spulak (fiction ’24)

  • 2025 Autumn House Press Rising Writer Prize for story collection, Magdalena is Brighter Than You Think, to be published in 2026.
Headshot of author Teri Vela

Teri Vela (poetry ’24)

  • Two poems, “Dressed as Pretend” and “Ghost Practice,” published in Defunkt Magazine’s anthology, Surreal Confessional.
Headshot of author Ian Wilson

Ian Wilson (poetry ’02/fiction ’16)

  • Short story “The Chief is Never Wrong” published in The Chicago Quarterly Review.

Did we miss something? Send us your news and we’ll include it in our June update.