KYD announces 2025 Creative Nonfiction Essay Prize shortlist

Kill Your Darlings (KYD) has announced the shortlist for the 2025 KYD Creative Nonfiction Essay Prize.

The 6 shortlisted essays are:

• “Where My Body Hides Water” by Madison Godfrey
• “Playing God” by Tallulah Grace
• “وجبت wejbet” by George Haddad
• “Groundhog Day in the Matrix” by Benjo Kazue
• “Slug Theory” by Benedicte O’Leary-Rutherford
• “Piscine” by Sarah Walker.

KYD also announced 3 highly commended entries from Beth Atkinson-Quinton, Stella Hamilton and Emmi van Harten.

Established in 2022, the prize aims “to celebrate and showcase the best and most inventive creative nonfiction”. The most recent winner was Xiaole Zhan in 2023 for their essay “Think an Empty Room, Moonly with Phone Glow”.

This year’s winner will receive $2500, with 2 runners-up each receiving $1000. These 3 essays will be published in KYD.

Category: Awards Local news