Writing award carries on tradition

The Department of English and Rhetoric is continuing its annual practice of awarding a writing award to undergraduate students who submit their work.

The writing award recognizes Margaret Harvin Wilson in her memory. Wilson enrolled in Georgia State College for Women—GCSU today—and graduated with an English major and a French minor in only three years. As a senior, Wilson was encouraged to enter into a short story contest. Wilson’s short story, “Sympathy Speaks” won her the first prize and was published in “The Corinthian,” which was a similar to “Peacocks Feet,” the art and literary journal, today.

The award offers $1,000 cash prize for submitted poems, short stories and drama pieces. In addition to the cash prize, the winner will be recognized in a celebration of writing and given a certificate of achievement.

Senior double major in theater and English, Steve Holbert submitted work to the contest.

“I submitted to the Wilson writing contest because its was an opportunity to prove script writing is still a genre that focuses on beauty, depth, and theme just as well as (if not better than) poetry, fiction, and nonfiction,” Holbert said. “Script writing seems to be the underdog of the GCSU writing community.”

Mary Sue and Kenneth Coleman, donated money to endow the award for many years to come. Coleman is the President of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and she is one of three of Wilson’s daughters.

Elaine Whitaker, professor of English and chair for the Department of English and Rhetoric, reflects on the research from Wilson’s writing in 1933.

“Dr. Coleman’s mother told the story about this reward to her daughters,” Whitaker said. “For her, it was something that built her confidence.”

Martin Lammon, the Fuller E. Callaway and Flannery O’Conner chair in creative writing, helps coordinate the creative writing competition with Whitaker.

“This $1,000 award honors a talented student who we hope, like the award’s namesake, may offer inspiration to future students at Georgia College,” Lammon said.

Creative writing submissions are due Sept. 30 for the inaugural Margaret Harvin Wilson Writing Award in the Department of English and Rhetoric located in Arts & Sciences 303.

Editor’s note: Steve Holbert writes the satire column for The Colonnade.

Posted by Brittany Henderson on Sep 24 2010. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.