The Çiğdem and Hossein Dabir Award for Excellence in Short Fiction is an annual award intended for Bilkent students who display exceptional proficiency in the short fiction form. Current applicants were selected from ENG 312 – Introduction to Creative Writing through their submission of a single work of short fiction. The winners were decided by a committee composed of representatives from ELIT, COMD and ENG.
The 2024 first-prize winner was Almira Balaban with her work “Laurent-Perrier.” Second prize went to Zeynep Serdaroğlu with “Getaway,” and İpek Aydıngül won third with “Genesis.”
Sedil Salimoğlu’s story, “The Roses in Your Name,” was awarded the distinction of Honorable Mention.
Çiğdem and Hossein Dabir were lifelong advocates for creative expression and student achievement. Both contributed generously to the design and delivery of earlier forms of the ENG 312 course. Çiğdem’s love for short fiction and Hossein’s love for students formed the genesis of this award. Their passing, in 2015 and 2020 respectively, was a great loss to the Bilkent Community. This award, in remembrance of their grace, serves to honor their memory by providing Bilkent students the opportunity to be recognized and share their artistry.
