With its publication of Prized Writing each fall, the University Writing Program holds a ceremony to honor the students from across campus whose works are in the book, and acknowledge the importance UC Davis places on writing, regardless of major.
This year’s event has been postponed, due to the pandemic, but there’s no delaying Prized Writing — it’s available now, online. The ceremony has been rescheduled for the spring when the print edition will be released. This is the 31st edition, comprising works from 2019-20.
As in the past, students in history, English, comparative literature are represented, but so are those in computer science, marine science, genetics and molecular biology.
The writers and the cover artist are listed below.
The new volume includes creative nonfiction, journalism, medical case study, scientific literature review, legal analysis, oral history, critical theory, autobiographical essays and a public health proposal. Topics range from the mating habits of birds to the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi; international trophy hunting to a loving portrait of an Indian grandmother; fentanyl addiction to the use of video games in education; sexual harassment to weasels in medieval French literature.
Since its inception in the 1989-90 academic year, Prized Writing has published about 600 pieces by nearly as many writers. Each issue contains about 20 works selected from nearly 500 submitted.
UC Davis instituted a writing requirement in 1966 and opened the Campus Writing Center in 1981, offering discipline-specific writing courses and helping faculty integrate writing more effectively into their courses.
The University Writing Program, in the College of Letters and Science, was established in 2003-04. It offers a minor in professional writing and a graduate program with designated emphasis in writing, rhetoric and composition studies.
Since 2007, UC Davis has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the top colleges and universities in the nation for writing in the disciplines.
Authors and artist
- Tara Allison
- Kaitlin Araghi
- Arisa Bunanan
- Lacey Conlon
- Elena DeNecochea
- Eli Elster
- David Esparza
- Lauren Glevanik
- Veronica Guerra
- Carrie Hetland
- Hannah Holzer
- Janmajaya Kailash
- Hufssa Khan
- Shreya Kumar
- Lisa Lai
- Mia Lakritz
- Michael P. Montgomery
- Alex Nguyen
- Seunghyup Oh
- Annabelle Rankin
- Daniel Ritchie
- Kristen Shih (cover art)
- Rebecca Spin
- Jeslyn Tatang
- Shira Tikofsky
- Enhsaruul Zorigt
Media Resources
Jeffrey Day, 530-219-8258, jaaday@ucdavis.edu