Wilkes University’s Etruscan Press Awards 2025 Etruscan Prize

Etruscan Press awarded its annual Etruscan Prize to Ciahnan Darrel for his fiction piece All She Said She Wouldn’t at the Maslow Family Graduate Program in Creative Writing’s June residency. The prize, awarded to a student in the graduate creative writing program, is chosen by an Etruscan author for “One Page That Sings” in any genre, including poetry, nonfiction or fiction. This year’s prize was judged by Gay Walley, author of The Waw. As winner of this year’s prize, Darrel will receive $100, as well as a limited-edition broadside of his work designed by Etruscan. In addition, he will receive a year’s subscription to Etruscan titles and a consultation with a senior Etruscan editor.

Darrel’s winning submission is a heartrending work of fiction that tells the story of a mother who is forced to give away her newborn baby at birth. Darrel, a first-year student in the graduate creative writing program, has already published two novels and earned a PhD in comparative literature from the University at Buffalo.

“Being awarded a prize is always an honor, but being awarded the Etruscan Prize is particularly gratifying for several reasons, not the least of which is Etruscan’s sterling reputation and track record of publishing bold, innovative and important books,” says Darrel. “I have a great deal to learn about my craft, the business of writing and being a good literary citizen. I look forward to the lessons ahead of me. Winning the Etruscan Prize has only entrenched my faith in the value of Wilkes’ MA/MFA program.”

In addition to forging ahead with his writing career, Darrel aspires to become involved with a press like Etruscan after he graduates from the program. “I hope also to find work in the publishing industry, ideally working as an editor or in acquisitions at a small press so that I may continue to live and breathe literature as I have been fortunate to do to this point in my life.”

The Maslow Family Graduate Program in Creative Writing at Wilkes University just celebrated its 20th anniversary this summer, and has in its history taught hundreds of students in genres including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, screenwriting and playwriting. Among its many esteemed alumni is Marlon James, winner of the 2015 Man Booker prize for his book A Brief History of Seven Killings.

Etruscan Press is a nonprofit literary press headquartered at Wilkes University, which publishes works in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, criticism and translation. It has awarded the Etruscan Prize since 2011, and in 2023 expanded the prize to include Wilkes University undergraduate students. This year’s undergraduate Etruscan Prize winner was Gene Wayne McCormick.