The Samuel Goldwyn Writing Awards are bestowed annually by the Samuel Goldwyn Foundation, which is funded by a trust established by the Goldwyn family. Started in 1955, the awards are a competitive writing prize open to all University of California students. As of October, 2006, the first prize in the awards is $15,000.
While winners are unknown students when they receive the award, many go on to be prominent writers and filmmakers. Previous award winners include Francis Ford Coppola, Allison Anders, Carolyn See, Eric Roth, James Robert Baker, Jonathan Kellerman, Colin Higgins, Pamela Gray, Carroll Ballard, and Scott Rosenberg.
The final round of the awards are judged by prominent writers, directors, and entertainers, who have included Moss Hart, Billy Wilder, George Stevens, Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Dustin Hoffman, James Brooks, David Mamet, A. Scott Berg, and David Lynch.
Famous quotes containing the words goldwyn and/or writing:
“God makes stars. I just produce them.”
—Samuel Goldwyn (1882–1974)
“In the learned journal, in the influential newspaper, I discern no form; only some irresponsible shadow; oftener some monied corporation, or some dangler, who hopes, in the mask and robes of his paragraph, to pass for somebody. But through every clause and part of speech of the right book I meet the eyes of the most determined men; his force and terror inundate every word: the commas and dashes are alive; so that the writing is athletic and nimble,—can go far and live long.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)