York County Just Announced The 2020 ACYC Literary Competition Awards

The Arts Council of York County presented the awards for the 17th Annual Literary Competition and the 9th Annual Youth Literary Competition at a virtual reception that honored the awards recipients and participants and celebrating National Family Literacy Month and National Novel Writing Month on Thursday, November 5, 2020 at 5:30 PM. Many of the winning works will be published in the annual Cotton Alley Writers’ Review, which will be available online at yorkcountyarts.org/litcompetitions.

Rock Hill Poet Laureate Angelo Geter feels that “The Arts Council’s Literary Competition is a great platform to highlight and showcase the importance of writing and storytelling in our community. The art of self-expression is an important tool that can be used to chronicle life’s most important moments. This is especially relevant in today’s social, political and economic climate. In particular, it’s always great to read the poems from the youth as their experiences guide and shape the future of our world.  York County and the Southeast are fortunate to have such gifted writers.”

The Annual Literary Competitions include two categories – short story and poetry. Authors were eligible to enter both the short story and the poetry competitions, and entries were eligible to win an award in each category. Independent jurors were Wendy Kidd (Perihelion Book Club), Lucille Harper (retired teacher), Angelo Geter (Rock Hill Poet Laureate), and Winthrop University faculty: Melissa McArthur Gilbert (Adjunct Faculty) and Mary Martin (Instructor of English).

1st Place – “What We Got to Be Scared Of” by Jessica Mueller, Rock Hill, SC

2nd Place – “Old Frog” by Bonnie Stanard, Lexington, SC

3rd Place – “A Real Life” by Dawn Woods, Charlotte, NC

Honorable Mention – “I Ran My Cursor Over Your Name” by John M. Starino, Lexington, SC

Honorable Mention – “Cleaning House” by Joy Colter, Rock Hill, SC

1st Place – “Joey’s Gift” by Joseph C. Shields, Aiken, SC

2nd Place – “Melting” by Julia Brietkreutz, Rock Hill, SC

3rd Place – “The Ground Before Zero” by Craig S. Faris, Rock Hill, SC

Honorable Mention – “Sugar Magnolia” by Susan Demchak, Rock Hill, SC

Honorable Mention – “Call Me Old-Fashioned” by Leslie A. Patterson, Aiken, SC

1st Place – “Whatever Happened to Yesteryear” by Margaret L. Rosinski, Fort Mill, SC

2nd Place – “In His Accord” by Madeleine Jones, Rock Hill, SC

3rd Place – “The Death of George Floyd” by Jaelyn LaSalle, Rock Hill, SC

Honorable Mention – “To All the Bullies” by Lilliana Albert, Fort Mill, SC

Honorable Mention – “Moments” by Harlen Rembert, Fort Mill, SC

1st Place – “Alien Brain, Human Heart: My Life with Eddie Venus | Excerpts from the Entirely True Memoir of Astrid Doyle” by Jessica Branham, Rock Hill, SC

2nd Place – “Companions” by Emily Rushing, Fort Mill, SC

3rd Place – “Fish” by Megan Andrews, Fort Mill, SC

Honorable Mention – “Control” by Layla Brindisi, Fort Mill, SC

Honorable Mention – “Tales from Little Man Island” by Ashley Donaldson, Rock Hill, SC

Prizes and awards for the 17th Annual Literary Competition were underwritten by the Perihelion Club. The Perihelion Club, as a member of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, began in 1898 as a literary and social club in Rock Hill. Over the years, club members, individually and as a club, have supported literacy in the community in a variety of ways – by conducting story hour at elementary schools, purchasing books for school libraries and funding a scholarship at Winthrop University. Today its members continue to share their love of literature with each other and to eagerly support literacy efforts in the community by raising funds at an auction held annually at its December meeting. The Perihelion Club is very proud to encourage writers of short stories and poetry by funding prizes for this competition.

The Arts Council is headquartered in downtown Rock Hill, a state-recognized cultural district. For more information on Arts Council events, contact the Arts Council of York County at (803)328-2787, by email at arts@yorkcountyarts.org, or visit our webpage at http://www.yorkcountyarts.org.