The Walker Percy Prize is a $100 prize awarded annually to the piece published in The Health Humanities Journal by a UNC student author that best exemplifies the spirit of Walker Percy, a physician and celebrated writer who was interested in philosophy and often combined explorations of science, religion, and contemporary culture in his novels and essays. Selected by a board of judges, the piece is judged on its ability to surprise and entertain the reader and to offer a new perspective rooted in details rather than abstraction.
All UNC student authors who have published a piece in the Fall or Spring editions of the current academic year are automatically considered for the prize. Previous winners are not eligible.
Eligible Works:
- Prose, poetry, and art pieces
- Art will be accompanied with Artist’s Note, which is published in the journal alongside the piece, and judging will focus primarily on the text
The piece is selected by a board of judges at the end of each academic year. The board of judges is comprised of representatives from the UNC Department of English & Comparative Literature, Department of Social Medicine, HHIVE Lab, and Honors Carolina.
