For over a decade, Hammer's Poetry Series has concluded its annual offerings for the academic year with a reading by a stellar group of up-and-coming writers who have won awards for competitions sponsored by the Department of English or by a statewide consortium of universities. The UCLA Department of English is pleased to announce the winners of these creative writing competitions in poetry for 2015:

The Fred and Edith Herman Memorial Prize from the Academy of American Poets: Tina Lawson for "The Dusty Plains of Cheeks" and other poems

The Fred and Edith Herman Memorial Honorable Mention: Donna Tang for "Migration" and other poems

The Shirle Dorothy Robbins Award (first place tie): Sarah Nance for "In the Kitchen Room" and other poems and Jeremy Schmidt for "The Like Poems"

The Shirle Dorothy Robbins Award (second place): Neela Saraswati for "Trainstops" and other poems

This series of readings is organized and hosted by Stephen Yenser, poet and professor at UCLA.