The Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books now sponsors an annual writing contest for college students named for the late Lillian Boese who was a key force in the Festival’s first fifteen years. The Lillian Boese Award for Writing Excellence will include competitions in essays, fiction and poetry, and is open to college students who reside or attend college in Southeast Wisconsin.

Lillian Boese, who died in June, 2024 was the Executive Director of the UWM-Waukesha Foundation when the Festival of Books was created as an activity of the Foundation in 2009. After her retirement, she continued as Community Co-Chair and as Fundraising Chair for several years. She was active on the committee to save the Festival in 2024.

• You must be a college student who lives in or attends college in Southeast Wisconsin to enter
• Word Limits:
  2500 words for Fiction and Essays
  250 words for Poem
• No Prompts–Just Write!

1st Place: $350

2nd Place: $250

3rd Place: $100

Please check back in September for submission information for our 2026 contest.