- Winning authors are from South Burlington and Westford
- Read the winning poem and short story now in the summer issue of Vermont Magazine
- Annual contest celebrates the Vermont experience with prizes awarded by Vermont Magazine and Green Mountain Power
Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power (GMP) has announced that writers from South Burlington and Westford are the winners of this year’s Vermont Writers’ Prize, an annual contest that celebrates Vermont, its people, history, and culture. Now in its 37th year, the Prize encourages writers to explore the Vermont experience through the written word. Winners in each category are published in the summer issue of Vermont Magazine and each also receives $1,250.
This year, the short story “The Apprentice” by Emily Rinkema of Westford won the top award for prose, and the poem “Sugarhouse Steel” by Laura Kujawa of South Burlington won in the poetry category. You can read the winning entries as well as the poem and story that won Honorable Mention in Vermont Magazine here.
“As the new Editor-in-Chief of Vermont Magazine, it was thrilling to be a part of the Vermont Writers’ Prize this year,” says Megan Demarest. “It was clear that each entry received careful attention, and that each judge was genuinely impressed by the quality of the submissions. Green Mountain Media Group is proud and honored to continue partnering with Green Mountain Power on this important recognition of Vermont’s literary talent.”
In Rinkema’s short story “The Apprentice,” heartbreaking loss is painfully present right alongside human connection, kindness, and hope as a young woman confronts the rest of her life without her partner, and finds joy through learning butchery.
“Come in,” the butcher said, as if he’d been waiting for her. She hesitated, imagining what Colin would say, but then she saw in the crinkle of his eyes that his smile was real and deep and kind and most importantly, completely devoid of sympathy.
- From “The Apprentice,” by Emily Rinkema
Kujawa’s poem pulls the reader into the vibrance of Vermont’s landscape, driving us across hills, valleys, and forests to convey the wonderous spectacle of changing seasons in “Sugarhouse Steel.”
Young green leaves
mature richer, bolder: ochres and garnets and citrines.
They caramelize themselves under a cooling sun.
- From “Sugarhouse Steel” by Laura Kujawa
“One of the most exciting parts of this contest is seeing how Vermonters explore the state through their writing, sharing the unique and changing experience of what it means to call Vermont home,” said Kristin Carlson, a GMP vice president who served as one of the judges. “Congratulations to Laura and Emily for grabbing us with these heartfelt winning entries.”
Entries for the 2027 Vermont Writers’ Prize are now being accepted and you can learn more and submit your entry until January 1, 2027, here. The prize is open to Vermont residents and entries are accepted for poetry and prose categories. Your poem, short story, essay, or play should explore Vermont – its people, places, values, or history. The deadline to enter is January 1, 2027.
About Green Mountain Power
Green Mountain Power serves more than 275,000 residential and business customers in Vermont with electricity that’s 100% carbon free on an annual basis. GMP is partnering with customers to provide solutions that deliver resiliency and affordability. GMP is the first utility in the world to get a B Corp certification, meeting rigorous social, environmental, accountability and transparency standards and committing to use business as a force for good. GMP was named to Fast Company’s 2024 Most Innovative Companies in the World list, the sixth time earning that honor. In 2024, 2023 and 2021 the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) honored GMP as a nationwide leader in energy transformation. And, in 2022 GMP was named to TIME’s list of the 100 Most Influential Companies for its groundbreaking resiliency work to transform the grid for customers.
About Green Mountain Media Group
Green Mountain Media Group, LLC, is a Vermont-based, woman-owned business; owned and operated by Jen Kane Paterson (Owner) and John Paterson (CEO / Group Publisher). Headquartered in Southern Vermont, the company is dedicated to celebrating local culture, community, and place through thoughtfully produced, reader-focused publications. Green Mountain Media Group now serves as the publisher of Manchester Life, Stratton Magazine, VERMONT Magazine, and THE GUIDE, building on decades of editorial excellence while embracing new opportunities in digital storytelling, community engagement, and regional partnerships.
6.12.2026. COLCHESTER, Vt. – Green Mountain Power
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