The Kari Ann Flickinger Memorial Literary Prize

for a Poetry Chapbook 2023

Kari Ann Flickinger

WRITER. STORYTELLER. ARTIST. MUSICIAN

Kari Ann

“My childhood was largely spent wandering aimlessly through the mountains of Northern California. I started working at my first job when I was 15 years old, the same year I picked up the guitar. In my thirties, I obtained my degrees as a returning student from UC Berkeley, Diablo Valley College, and Sacramento City College. In studying English and Psychology, I had the opportunity to workshop with countless brilliant and varied perspectives.””

Kari Ann worked as a freelance writer and proofreader in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her writing has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, and the SFPA Rhysling Award and she was the recipient of the Diablo Valley College Poetry Competition in 2015 for her poem “When We Lost” .

Her reviews have been featured in Palette Poetry, Headline Poetry and Press, Storyteller’s Refrain and Black Bough. During the months of the 2020 Covid lockdown, Kari worked on Ceiling Fan, what was to be her last published collection, spending the spend the bulk of her time with her “unreasonably large” highlander cat, Bear, her partner Bill Abney, and preparing for their planned wedding in late 2022. Ceiling Fan was published to much acclaim by Rare Swan Press in March 2022 and sadly Kari passed away unexpectedly on May 2 2022.

Kari Ann Flickinger is a much loved poet and artist. She was shy and reserved, yet had a substantial online following within the poetry community. The Kari Ann Flickinger Biennial Memorial Literary Prize was created to celebrate her artistic legacy and to honour her contribution to literary life.

The Kari Ann Flickinger Memorial Literary Prize 2023

Inaugural Prize for a Poetry Chapbook

SUBMISSION PERIOD May 15 – July 30, 2023

The Kari Ann Flickinger Literary Prize 2023 honours the life and artistry of poet, artist and musician, Kari Flickinger. The inaugural 2023 prize will be for a poetry chapbook. Entries will be accepted between May 15th and July 30th 2023 and is open globally. This prize is made possible by the exceptional generosity of Bill Abney, Kari Ann Flickinger’s partner and Rare Swan Press is hugely appreciative of his partnership and patronage.

$1500 will be awarded to the winner plus publication with Rare Swan Press, with $250 received by the four Finalists along with a Literati Magazine Portfolio, each.

Kari Ann Flickinger Memorial Literary Prize Submission Guidelines

Rare Swan Press 2011 -2023

The Kari Ann Flickinger Biennial Memorial Literary Prize is vetted by the CLMP