Eudora Welty Ephemera Prize for High School Creative Writing Anthologies - Welty Writers' Symposium

The Eudora Welty Ephemera Prize Anthologies

Named in honor of Mississippi University for Women alumna Eudora Welty and one of the W’s early creative writing journals, Ephemera, the annual creative writing prize recognizes exceptional creative talent among high school students. Prizewinners are honored at the Eudora Welty Writers’ Symposium at Mississippi University for Women.

https://www.muw.edu/welty/2024
  • Kaylee Alford, "Dirt"
  • Tiara Jones, "The Truth in the Lima"
  • Crislyn Lance, "The Creation"
  • Savannah Massey, "Eden, Mississippi" & "mississippi soil is a call to a better place"
  • Claire Rizzo, "To Rural Ambition"

Honorable Mentions

  • Cooper Brumfield, "Sincerely Yours"
  • Jaidyn Bryant, "Delta, Delta, Delta"
  • Ramse Jefferson, "Growing Pains"
  • Carys Peden, "Self-Identity"
  • Brianna Trotter, "Little Blue"

Judges: James E. Cherry and Gerry Wilson

https://www.muw.edu/welty/2023
  • Georgia Bailey, “Death” and “Too Soon”
  • Emelia Bosarge, “Becoming the Witch”
  • Anthony Bradley, “Atrophied Ambition”
  • Ava Grace Noe, “Morning Glory”
  • Iris Sue, “Speech Delayed yet Purpose Undeterred”

Honorable Mentions:

  • Crislyn Lance, “Melodies of LIfe”
  • Claire Rizzo, “I Miss Most Those I’ll Never Meet”
  • Amelia Whitaker,“Carvings From the Wind”

Judges: Halle Hill and Claude Wilkinson

https://www.muw.edu/welty/2022
  • Makenzie Brannon, “The Side of the Road in Columbus, MS”
  • Chloe Dobbins, “A Day No Fish Would Die”
  • Nathané George, “Dirty”
  • Elliot Nix, “Inhospitable Hometowns”
  • Ava Grace Noe, “Dead Chickens in the Fence”

Honorable Mentions:

  • Maryann Dang, “A Stir-Fry of Tradition;
  • Erin Erter, “September 2, 1963”
  • Joseph Hanna,“There Is No Town Named Charlesville”

Judges: Chantal James and Jacqueline Allen Trimble

https://www.muw.edu/welty/2021
  • Jordan Isbell, “Okolona, Mississippi: The Little City That Does ‘Big Things’”
  • Kinjal Patel, “The Lockdown”
  • J.B. Snodgrass, “The Word of the Lord”
  • Emma Spinks, “Mississippi”
  • Benjamin Tabor, “What a Hunter Hears”

Honorable Mentions:

  • Jordan Brown, “If Anything Happens to Me”
  • Jazmine Henry, “The Inevitable”
  • Jacob McGee,“Why Faith and Not Sight”
  • Megan Waits, “Blindsided”
  • Locklyn Wilchynski, “A Monument of Sunshine”

Judges: Kendra Allen and Annette Saunook Clapsaddle

https://www.muw.edu/welty/2020
  • Joshua Bates of Forest, “I Apologize If You Feel Something”
  • Callie Matthews of Meridian, “Reclaiming the Soil You Sprouted From”
  • Skylar Nichols of Laurel, “Stitches, Scissors, & Seams,” “Early Sunday Mornings,” and “Homebodies”
  • Lauren Stamps of Mount Olive,  “Midnight by the Pearl”
  • Abilyn Strain of Columbus, “I Call That Beautiful”

Honorable Mention:

  • Luke Bowles of Buckatunna, “So This Is Wayne County”
  • Jaylin Jones of Clarksdale, “Submerged in the South” and “Open-Casket”
  • Raeed Kabir of Biloxi, “Individualism of Culture”
  • Amelia Pope of Aberdeen, “Can’t I Live and Be?”
  • Stephanie Ressel of Vancleave, “Lock and Key”

Judges: Juyanne James and Sandra Meek

https://www.muw.edu/welty/2019
  • Felicity Browning of Pascagoula, “Hometown Wilted”
  • Ryley Fallon of Lucedale, “Speech Leapin’”
  • Lily Langstaff of Olive Branch, “Backyard Bugs”
  • Abilyn Marie Strain of Columbus, “Home(less)” and “King Street” 
  • Shelby Tisdale of Pearl, “Southside Sunday,” “Smoke,” and “So This is Mississippi” 

Honorable Mention:

  • Abby Amos of Columbus, “I am Three, I am Me”
  • Violet Jira of Cleveland, “Snow for Sky”
  • Asya Lyons of Jackson, “Why I Live at the P. O.”
  • Imani Skipwith of Jackson, “Mama Mississippi” Poem and “The Southern Struggle”

Judges:  T. J. Anderson III and Cary Holladay

https://www.muw.edu/welty/2018
  • Danail Dimitrov of Ackerman, "Speaking English”
  • Victoria Gong of Vicksburg, "Monsoon Season”
  • Luong Huynh of Pascagoula, “Do You Hear Me?”
  • Indu Nandula of Cleveland, "Red Bindis and Potato Curry”
  • Katherine Westbrook of Wesson, "Splintered: The Story of an Almost-Empath”

Honorable Mention:

  • Taylor Downs of Yazoo City, “Parental Teachings”
  • Dev Jaiswal of Louisville, “Color”
  • Peter Nguyen of D'Iberville, "Across the Water”
  • Sarah Perry of Columbus, “Photographs”
  • Madison Wypyski of Pass Christian, "Heath Ledger and Hip-Hugging Jeans”

Judges: Pauline Kaldas and Adam Vines

https://www.muw.edu/welty/2017
  • Alex Monterde of Purvis, "Soy Beans and Shrimp"
  • Helen Peng of Starkville, "Ode to Dixie"
  • Amber Jackson of Jackson, "Interdependence"
  • Michelle Luo of New Albany, "In the Snow"

Honorable Mention:

  • Juliana Wilkins of Columbus, "Living with Zombies"
  • Billy Guevara of Richland, "The Gift"
  • Alyson Espy of Clarksdale, "Absolute Pitch"
  • Anjeli Hoskins of Pascagoula, "Traveling the Mississippi Gulf Coast"
  • Allison McElhenney of Columbus, "Reflections and Dreams"
  • Jagger Riggle of Pontotoc, "Calhoun County"
  • Victoria Gong of Vicksburg, "In Mississippi"
  • Mariat Thankachan of Clarksdale, "Speaks the Mississippi Story"
  • Indu Nandula of Cleveland, "The Long Winding Road"
  • Daja Sayles of Richland, "Johnathan"

Judges: James E. Cherry and Jacqueline Allen Trimble

2016
  • Braeden Foldenauer of Southaven, "Monster Inside Me"
  • Emily Shy of Cleveland, "Delta Driving"
  • Stephanie Dauber of Columbus, "Cheyenne and Mama" 
  • Jalexis Evans of Cleveland, "Do You Hear It"
  • Reagan Poston of Mantee, "Greasy Joe," 

Honorable Mention:

  • Dustin Dunaway of Brookhaven, "Calloused Hands"
  • Wrishija Roy of Columbus, "Cultures Unheard”

Judges: Paulette Boudreaux and David Armand

2015
  • Makayla Raby of Ecru, "City"
  • Summar McGee of Edwards, "Pickin' Day"
  • Carly Sneed of Pontotoc, "Dancing on the Factory Floor"
  • Laurel Lancaster of South Haven, "Amazing Grace"
  • Dharma Gilley of Ocean Springs, "Young and Yellow"

Judges: T. J. Jarrett and Michael Kardos

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