The late DC Stanfa brought laughter to the world through her writing, and that legacy lives on through the DC Stanfa Memorial Writers’ Award.
Once again, the University of Dayton’s Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop will offer at least two need-based awards to writers, covering the full registration fee as well as travel and hotel expenses for the March 26–28 workshop. Applications will be accepted through Jan 30.
The endowment is funded by DC’s husband, Tom Schonecker, and daughter, Cori Hedrick, with generous support from family, friends and the Erma writers’ community.
It’s a meaningful award for the recipients. Celeste King Conner, a writer from Dothan, Alabama, received one of the inaugural awards in 2022. Today, she’s preparing to celebrate the publication of her first book.
“I always wanted to tell stories like Erma,” she said. “After years of plucking away at my keyboard, a compilation of my essays will be published on June 2 by Koehler Books. It's titled, Don't Let This Get Out in Pinckard, a repeated quote from my daddy’s sister after she said something she shouldn’t have said in front of my sisters and me.”
Successful 2026 applicants will offer the selection committee a clear financial case and rationale for why they should be chosen. Apply here.
“We're so grateful for all the generous support that have made these awards possible,” said Teri Rizvi, founder and co-director of the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop. “The Erma writing community lifts writers up with support, encouragement and a sense of belonging, no matter where they are on their writing journey.”
The March 26-28 workshop is sold out, but writers can add their name to the waitlist or register for Erma Home Schooling, a virtual offering that includes live-streams of the five keynote addresses and four exclusive workshops on humor writing.