The first annual Charlotte Ann Porter Prize for Fiction ($1000) was awarded in December 2025 to Sheri Reynolds. Ms. Reynolds is the author of the fabulously entertaining short story ‘Covenants‘, which appeared in the Summer 2025 issue of The Lemonwood Quarterly. Congratulations Sheri!
Sheri Reynolds is the author of seven novels (the best known: The Rapture of Canaan, thanks to Oprah’s Book Club; the most recent: The Tender Grave, published by Bywater in 2021). She’s also published a full-length play and other shorter works. Sheri teaches humanities classes at Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC, and returns to Cape Charles, VA, each summer, to write and float on the Chesapeake Bay. You can find more of Sheri’s work at www.sherireynolds.com. Her story, ‘Covenants‘ appears in the Summer 2025 issue of The Lemonwood Quarterly.
The first annual Hononegah Mack Prize for the Best Play ($500) was awarded in December 2025 to Skylar Siben. Ms. Siben’s fantastic play ‘Party Princess‘ appeared in the Fall 2025 issue of The Lemonwood Quarterly. Congratulations Skylar!
Skylar Siben is a writer and director working in theatre, film, and television. In 2024, Party Princess had its premiere at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, where it received the StageCrafts Spotlight Series Encore Award. Much Ado About Rushing, her adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic comedy set in Greek life, was a quarterfinalist in the ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship 2024. Originally from San Diego, Skylar graduated from the University of Michigan in 2021 with a degree in Theatre Performance: Directing. Since moving to Los Angeles, she has had the opportunity to work on shows such as Gaslit (UCP/STARZ), Tulsa King (Paramount+), True Lies (20th Century Television) and Monarch (Fox Entertainment). Her play, ‘Party Princess‘ appears in the Fall 2025 issue of The Lemonwood Quarterly.