Winners List 2027

CONGRATULATIONS to SHANNON RAGAN, whose story “The Farm at the End of the World,” won the 2027 Pen Parentis Fellowship for New Parents. Shannon, from Richmond Heights, MO, wins $2000, publication in Dreamers Writing, a full year of mentorship in the Pen Parentis Cycle of Support, and a public presentation and reading at the November 10, 2026 Literary Salon. Shannon has a five-year old.

Judges’ comments on THE FARM AT THE END OF THE WORLD

“Took me on an incredible journey and left me breathless.”

“The writing was so accomplished. The writer managed to tell a cohesive and moving story in a short space. I felt visually and emotionally immersed in this world and could have happily stayed there for a whole book.”

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2nd Place: $500 goes to LA CALACA by Mirian Fonesca of Littleton, CO. Has a one year old girl

Judges’ Comments:

“Beautiful, imaginative POV. Touching, sad discovery about the narrator.”

“I found the piece heartbreaking and poignant. I didn’t expect the reveal but the clues were all there. It was clearly written and easy to understand but not simple. I found myself thinking about the piece even after finishing it.”

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3rd Place, $250:  OUR OWN EARTH by Jill Winsby-Fein of Wassaic, NY – two kids under 4

Judges’ Comments:

“Poignant, gripping short story about a mom in a storm protecting her child from a stranger, and deciding that safety isn’t worth losing trust.”

“I didn’t know it was possible to write a 440 word thriller, but this author manages it, with a weighty moral choice at the center to boot. Vivid imagery and character development make the piece seem longer than two pages, in a good way. Polished, pulsating, alive.”

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Honorable Mentions:

“The Song” by Lyndsey Reese

“Ghost Rider” by Olivia Kenney

“Between the Lighthouses” by Jillian Jackson

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LONGLISTED STORIES:
Feed, She’s Coming Back, Phase/Full of/Preclusions, Haruspex, Planet Harriet, The Hundred-Year Hurricane, If Nothing is Sacred, Freya’s Silence, Earring

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CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL the entrants – you wrote exemplary stories at a critical stage in your parenting life – your talent is enormous and your dedication is wonderful to see!

Join us in an accountability group! We would love to continue the relationship.

You will be able to hear Shannon read her winning story at the November 10th Literary Salon. Register on penparentis.eventbrite.com