This scholarship is a memorial to Susan, a friend of ours, and a member of the Portland Science Fiction Society. Since her death in 1980, we have raised money to annually send aspiring writers to the Clarion Science Fiction Writer’s Workshop. This was an event she had hoped to attend herself but was unable to do so because of financial reasons.

The original seed money was raised for flowers at Sue’s funeral, but the money could not be used for that purpose. Since then, money to fund the scholarship has been mainly raised by auctions at conventions and more recently by selling “eggs” for prizes at OryCon. Donations from conventions and individuals were also an important source of income for the fund.

After nearly 43 years, Debbie Cross and Paul Wrigley have decided to end the Susan C. Petrey Clarion Scholarship Fund. Over the years it has awarded 71 scholarships to Clarion & Clarion West Writers Workshops in Michigan, Seattle, and San Diego. At first scholarships were awarded just to the Clarion Workshop. With the restart of Clarion West, scholarships began alternating between the two venues. Since 1992, scholarships have been awarded annually to both venues. Finally in 2010, the Fund began annually sponsoring instructor fellowships at Clarion West. Initially, the Fund was organized by the Portland Science Fiction Society but in later years the Fund was transferred to Oregon Science Fiction Conventions Inc.

The assets of the fund have been disbursed to both Clarion West in Seattle and Clarion in San Diego to help them carry on doing their great work. We personally would like to thank all the supporters over the years, without whom the Fund would not have happened. Hopefully they will find other ways to continue to support the Workshops. Finally, we would like to thank the organizers of the Workshops over the years whose hard work has allowed us to award the Scholarships.

A final note, if flowers had been allowed at Sue’s funeral, none of this would have happened!

The fund was administered by us, with the support of Portland fandom, and was legally a part of Oregon Science Fiction Conventions Inc., a tax-exempt organization.

Debbie Cross
Paul M. Wrigley

Scholarship Recipients and Fellows

Recipients for the scholarship have been selected by the workshop directors based on need and talent. They have been:

2020

Ted Chiang (Susan C. Petrey Fellow)

2019

Celeste Rita Baker, New York, NY (West)
Samuel Douglas Shaw, Arvada, CO (San Diego)
Emma Bogdonoff (Em North), Baltimore, MD (San Diego)
Anne Leckie (Susan C. Petrey Fellow)

2018

E. C. Barrett, Brooktondale, NY (West)
Ashlee Lhamon, Lake Charles, LA (San Diego)
Karen Joy Fowler (Susan C. Petrey Fellow)

2017

Alexandra Manglis (West)
Ghislaine Lai, Singapore (San Diego)
Pat Cadigan (Susan C. Petrey Fellow)

2016

Emma Osborne, Footscray, Vic, Australia (West)
Benjamin Sloan, Rossville, IN (San Diego)
Geoff Ryman (Susan C. Petrey Fellow)

2015

Laurie Penny, Cambridge, MA (West)
Dayna Smith, Chicago, IL (California)
Cory Doctorow (Susan C. Petrey Fellow)

2014

Alison Wilgus, Brooklyn, NY (West)
Marian Womack, Madrid, Spain (California)
John Crowley (Susan C. Petrey Fellow)

2013

JY Yang, Singapore (West)
Zach Grafton, Alhambra, CA (California)
Samuel R. Delany (Susan C. Petrey Fellow)

2012

Brenta Blevins, Rural Retreat, Viginia (West)
Carmen Machado, Iowa City, IA (California)
Chuck Palahniuk (Susan C. Petrey Fellow)

2011

Alisa Alering, Bloomington, IN (West)
Todd Castillo, Long Beach, CA (California)
Charles Stross (Susan C. Petrey Fellow)

2010

Cassandra Clarke, Cuero, TX (West)
Laura Praytor, Long Beach, CA (California)
Ian McDonald (Susan C. Petrey Fellow)

2009

Nicholas Stenner, Vancouver, BC (California)
Emily C. Skaftun, Victorville, CA (West)
Rudy Rucker (Susan C. Petrey Fellow)

2008

Anna Owomoyela, Iowa City, IA (West)
Grá Linnaea, Eugene, OR (California)
Chuck Palahniuk (Susan C. Petrey Fellow)

2007

David Zasloff – Santa Clarita, CA (West)
Desirina Boskovich – Atlanta, GA (California)
Samuel R. Delany (Susan C. Petrey Fellow)

2006

Gord Sellar – South Korea (West)
Jemma EveryHope – Bellingham, WA (East)
Vernor Vinge (Susan C. Petrey Fellow)

2005

Heather Lindsley – Seattle WA (West)
Tracy Taylor – Ewing, NJ (East)
Michael Swanwick (Susan C. Petrey Fellow)

2004

Alice Kim – Standford, CA (West)
Marjorie M. Liu – Madison, WI (East)

2003

Eliani Torres – Bennington VT (West)
Tamara Inman – Lakewood, CA (East)

2002

Adrian Nam-Son Khactu – Viet Nam (West)
Cecilia Marsh – Washington, DC (East)
This year there was also a special grant of $500 awarded to Clarion West to help defray the cost of transportation for instructors.

2001

Ari Goelman – Vancouver, BC, Canada (West)
Beth Adele Long – Dayton, MD (East)

2000

Julian Brown – Durban, South Africa (West)
Kelly Searsmigh – Boone, NC (East)

1999

Daniel G. Dick – Burnaby, B.C., Canada (West)
Sharon Keir – McLean, VA (East)

1998

Jeffrey A. Deveaux – Seattle, WA (West)
Barth Anderson – Minneapolis, MN (East)
Eric Witchey – Tualatin, OR (Special)

1997

Susan Jett – Moab, UT (West)
William G. Henry – St. Louis Park, MN (East)

1996

Craig L. Gidney – Washington, DC (West)
David Hoffman-Dachelet – Minneapolis, MN (East)

1995

Timalyne Lindquist-Frazier – Seattle, WA (West)
Phoebe Smith – Cambridge, England (East)

1994

Christopher East – Fredonia, NY
Syne Mitchell – Madison, WI

1993

Patrizia DeLucchio – Oakland, CA
Michael Johnson – Brookline, MA

1992

Denise Angela Shawl – Ann Arbor, MI
Nathan Ballingrud – Asheville, NC

1991

Karen Cowan-Jensen – Anchorage, AK

1990

Heidi Heyer Campbell – Chester, VA

1989

Diana Maria Castro – Arcata, CA

1988

Sharon Wahl – Somerville, MA

1987

Susan Kray – Urbana, IL

1986

Wally Metts – Horton, MI

1985

Leslie J. Howle – Seattle, WA

1984

Kathe (Mustamaa) Koja – Detroit, MI

1983

Mona A. Clee – Austin, TX

1982

William P. Knuttel – Davis, CA