The Arts Council of York County Literary Competitions highlight the best in short stories and poetry from across the Southeast United States; and the Youth Literary Competitions highlight the best in short stories and poetry by students enrolled in K-12 programs from across York County, SC.
ADULT COMPETITION
The 20th Annual Literary Competition was open to all artists in the Southeast United States.
The short story and poetry competitions were open to any subject, and all work submitted is unpublished, original work
of the artist.
Prizes and awards for the Annual Literary Competition are underwritten by the Perihelion Club and Evelyn Eick-Quinones.
AWARDS ANNOUNCEMENT
SHORT STORY
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First Place | Fire Wall by Joseph Prendergast, Rock Hill, SC
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Second Place | Illegal Immigrants3785 by Kenneth James Nelson, Fort Mill, SC
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Third Place | On Memory by Alicia Dervin, Charlotte, NC
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Honorable Mention | Flutter by Eileen Edwards, Travelers Rest, SC
POETRY
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First Place | Going to Water by Kimberly Simms, Greenville, SC
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Second Place | Glory to the Heroes! by Terence Cawley, Charlotte, NC
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Third Place | Beauty Only Bright by Lisa Dunn, Chester, SC
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Honorable Mention | The Blur and the Becoming: A Postpartum Journey by Amber Williams, Lancaster, SC
YOUTH COMPETITION
The 12th Annual Youth Literary Competition was open to artists who reside in York County, and are enrolled in a K-12 program.
The short story and poetry competitions were open to any subject, and all work submitted is unpublished, original work
of the artist.
Prizes and awards for the Annual Literary Competition are underwritten by the Perihelion Club.
AWARDS ANNOUNCEMENT
SHORT STORY
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First Place | Under the Surface by Heidi Whipple, Fort Mill, SC
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Second Place | A Viewpoint From Going Outside by Liana Garcia, Rock Hill, SC
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Third Place | The Goddess of the Ocean by Lilliann Fernandez, Rock Hill, SC
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Honorable Mention | Into the Crystal Cave by Evelyn Poore, Tega Cay, SC
POETRY
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First Place | I Swear, My House is Alive by Sophia Ahmed, Fort Mill, SC
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Second Place | Ashes Again by Heidi Whipple, Fort Mill, SC
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Third Place | They Will Never Fly Again by Caroline Reams, Fort Mill, SC
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Honorable Mention | The Snowflake from the Sky by Emily Mann, Rock Hill, SC
ONLINE MAGAZINE
An online magazine, the Cotton Alley Writers’ Review, is created from the winning entries submitted to the competition, its 2025 edition is now published.
QUESTIONS?
Christina Melchiorre