We are thrilled to announce that the 2026 Pen Parentis Writing Fellow will be Ellen Stearns of Larchmont, NY! She is the mother of a 5yr old child. Her winning story, “Cold Comfort” will be published in DREAMERS creative writing magazine later in the year.
“Cold Comfort” is spectacular short fiction which shows Ellen’s talent: touching and intimate, yet breaking the bounds of reality, in under 350 words, “Cold Comfort” shows through allegory as well as description what it is like to lose a beloved mother in adulthood. It has everything that a winning Pen Parentis story should contain: beautiful language, clarity of purpose and thought, surprising twists, breathless intensity, and deep emotional truth. All told with simple directness in a vivid scene.
After eight years in an editorial position, Ellen left publishing to raise her child. She is eager to get back into the book industry, though this time as a writer. A graduate of Middlebury College and University of Chicago, with a memorable year at Oxford, this is Ellen’s first big writing success. We wish her lots of joy in developing her creative practice this year as our newest All-Access Member of Pen Parentis!
2nd Place – Fabiola Mejia (3 kids) of Lynn, MA for the excellent and expansive “Prologue: Milagros’ Story” and a year of all-access membership.
3rd place – Anne Ramallo of Los Angeles, CA (2 kids) for the creepy and terrific “Propagation”.
Honorable mentions go to:
We the Sleepless – Casey Gentry Quinn
The Courtyard – Marianne Amoss
The Motherboard – Courtney McDermott
Species of Euphoria – Rebecca Kling
Tuesday’s Child – Beth Kander
And the stories that were shortlisted were:
Snow White and the Sleep Study – Margaret Adams
At the Changing Table – Timothy DeLizza
The Roots of a Dandelion – Szilvia Molnar
Surgical Prep – Michelle R. Brady
CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE WINNERS but also to all the writers who managed to create something new for the competition – you are all wonderful writers. Please send these stories out and keep writing new stories! We support your journey and loved reading your work.
For inspiration from the experiences of other writers who also have kids, subscribe to the YouTube.com/PenParentis channel – new shows drop monthly during the school year.
To learn more, please visit the Pen Parentis website.