Writing award now accepting recipients for the second year

Eighty years ago, dining hall worker and student Margaret Harvin Wilson discovered her passion for writing after submitting her short story, “Sympathy Speaks,” to The Corinthian, Georgia College’s literary magazine at the time. Encouraged by a faculty member, Wilson ended up winning first place.

Finding a home at Georgia College in 2010, the Margaret Harvin Wilson Award was established in the memory of its namesake. This award annually provides students with the opportunity to explore new worlds with their writing and earn a $1,000 cash prize as well as a certificate of achievement and recognition at a banquet if they are selected as the winner.

The first winner of the competition was former Georgia College student Jennifer Robinson, who won for her short story “Fabulá.”

“Writing is an outlet that can be used to explore new things in life and find out who you are as a writer,” sophomore creative writing major Lindsey Clark said. “(The Margaret Harvin Wilson Award) seems like a great way to push your boundaries as a writer and get recognized for it.”

Open to all undergraduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences at Georgia College, students are encouraged to step outside of their majors and submit to the competition.

“We are the (State of Georgia’s) Public Liberal Arts University,” creative writing program director Martin Lammon said. “This competition is open to all students, not just English majors. You never know who has the great story or poem or play. If you have it, then submit it.”

The contest excepts three categories of creative writing: short stories, dramas and poems. Once all of the submissions are entered in the contest, they go through two rounds of judging.

The submissions are first screened anonymously by a group of English graduate interns. The ones that pass through the first round then go on to the second, followed by a final round of judging that consist of a panel of English department faculty members.

Once a winner is selected, they are then formally recognized at an award banquet where they are presented with the $1,000 cash prize and a certificate of achievement.

Even though Wilson’s time at Georgia College is now past, her legacy and her lessons still make an impact on the Georgia College community.

“I would encourage students to persist in their college because that is what (Wilson) did. (Wilson) finished her education and graduated in three years, even though she worked in the dining hall,” Dr. Elaine Whitaker, department head of the department of English and rhetoric said. “Because she persisted, she was able to be successful.”

Posted by Lauren Corcino on Aug 25 2011. 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.