Five inspiring writers achieved finalist status for their poetry and/or short story earning the Margaret Harvin Wilson Writing Award from Georgia College & State University. Their creative works were selected out of 70 submissions. The 14^th Annual Awards ceremony took place March 30. 

Winning first place two years in a row in the First Year and Sophomore Category is Charlotte Aexel of Wind Lake, Wisconsin. Her poem, “Miss Flannery,” took first place while her short story, “Indiana’s Ghost,” landed second place. The sophomore is an English and French double major. She is also the author of “The Suitcase” poetry collection and serves as the editor-in-chief of the GCSU Student Literary Journal “The Peacock’s Feet.”

Olivia Ver Steegh placed third in this division for her short story “The Silent Song of Mushrooms.” Ver Steegh of Milton, a first-year student, is majoring in English with a creative writing concentration. She enjoys writing fiction and is a nature enthusiast, focusing most of her work on the natural world.

Winning first place in the Junior and Senior Category is Aner Gendellman of Alpharetta for her poem, “A God’s Ice-Cold Diet Coke.” She is a junior creative writing major and has been published in “The Peacock’s Feet.” Gendellman also won third place in the 2022 Margaret Harvin Wilson Writing Award.

Other Junior and Senior Division finalists include Kayla Goode and Hannah Mitchell. 

Goode is an English major from McDonough, who placed second with their poem “Portrait of my Mother Mowing the Lawn.” Goode’s poem, “Old Man Hunche,” won the Intro Journals Project competition at the college level, and they compete nationally.

Hannah Mitchell, an English major from Plains, placed third for her poem “Fruit of Your Soul.” Her love of poetry stems from a great appreciation of the Romantic Era and a desire to use words to create beauty out of themes and ideas that are oftentimes unappealing.

During the ceremony, finalists read excerpts of their works and were awarded certificates and cash prizes. First-place winners received $1,000. 

Aexel’s inspiration for her winning poem originated from a project she completed on Flannery O'Connor, ’45, for her high school’s AP Literature Class. It also occurred during a difficult time in her life.

“It's cool that I was able to turn that concept into art, mix it with some things I'm passionate about and see how writing helped me process something. Plus, I get to share that poem with people.”

Her second-place short story, “Indiana's Ghost,” was inspired by the 14-hour trip she takes to and from Wisconsin multiple times per year.

“I was inspired by the interstate, billboards and people I saw,” Aexel said.

She enjoys transforming small details into something big, like a short story or poem.

“That’s my favorite thing about writing,” Aexel said. “It helps me look at my life from a new lens, and it makes me a lot happier.”

Although she thinks effective writing is important in any profession, she also thinks it’s good for the soul.

“You can take anything that happens to you and turn it into something beautiful or that can help someone else,” Aexel said. “I think people would enjoy doing that, even if writing isn't their passion.”

Winning the Margaret Harvin Wilson Writing Award two years in a row validated her self-confidence as a writer.

“It’s really inspired my confidence as a writer,” Aexel said. “It's hard to bridge that gap between, ‘I like to write,’ and ‘I am a writer.’ This award does that.”

Gendellman chose to submit two of her works. She pushed herself to try something new, outside her comfort zone. Her inspiration for her winning piece came from sitting in a Waffle House with friends, observing others.

“There was a weird aura in the place,” Gendellman said. “I saw this woman. I was really intrigued by her. So, I decided to give her a little backstory and write a poem about her.”

Writing is a good outlet for Gendellman. In addition to her classes, she’s involved in several campus activities, and she works.

“Many times, I get stressed out,” Gendellman said. “But at the end of the day, I give myself at least 20 minutes to write my thoughts on a page. It really helps me stay calm and keep myself on track.”

She didn't start writing until she took Intro to Creative Writing over a year ago. Gendellman said she’s grown so much as a writer since then. More than anything, she wants to be a writer surrounded by other writers.

“This experience is a great step in that direction,” Gendellman said. “I hope to get my MFA in creative writing and teach. I just want to share my love for creative writing with other people.”