Georgia Author of the Year Deadline for Submissions Extended

Nominations for the 2018 Georgia Author of the Year Awards are now EXTENDED to February 12, 2018

Georgia Author of the Year Nomination Form 2018
Official 54th GAYA Guidelines 2018
Please review these guidelines before submitting a nomination. Download the nomination form here.
Nomination Fee: $60 per nomination
Deadline: February 12, 2018
Only chapbooks and books published within the 2017 calendar year (January 1 to December 31) are eligible. Traditionally published or self-published books are eligible, as are electronically published books on a major platform (Kindle, Nook, or iPad), for a fee of $60. For electronic books, a URL and ISBN must be provided as well as one print copy of the text for judges to review. Books will not be considered nominated if any of these guidelines are not met and materials and payment are not postmarked by February 12, 2018. First- and second-place winners will be announced at the Georgia Author of the Year (GAYA) ceremony on June 16, 2018.

Required Materials
Must be received on or before Monday, February 12, 2018 (postmarked)
Two hard-copies of the nominated book, the completed nomination form, and the $60 fee must be mailed to:
Georgia Writers Association
Georgia Author of the Year Awards 
440 Bartow Avenue #2701 
Kennesaw, GA 30144

Definition of a Georgia Author for the 54th GAYA
To be considered a Georgia author and thus eligible for nomination for GAYA, an author must meet one of the following criteria: the author must have been a resident of Georgia when the nominated book was written, though she or he may have since moved out of state; or the author must be currently living in Georgia when the book is nominated.

Definitions of GAYA Categories for the 54th GAYA
A book may be nominated in only one category selected by the nominator.
Fiction

• Detective/Mystery—A novel by a single author featuring a crime or crimes
• First Novel—First published novel by a single author
• Literary Fiction—A novel by a single author
• Romance—A novel by a single author intended for the mass-market and involving a primary focus on relationships
• Science Fiction— A novel by a single author that is grounded in the science or technology of the future
• Short Story Collection—By a single author

Poetry

• Chapbook—By a single poet and generally no more than 40 pages
• Full-Length Book—By a single poet

Nonfiction

• Biography—A life history that is a fact-based, referenced life story of a person, a group of people, or a family. This category does not include autobiography, which should be nominated under
• Cookbook—Books that contain a collection of recipes, techniques, or focus on the exploration of food, cooking, and culture of food.
• Essay—A collection by a single author that sustains a single topic or theme. May not be an anthology of essays by multiple authors
• History—Research-based books which use narratives to examine and analyze past events
• Inspirational—Books on topics in self-help, life improvement, motivational, religious, or spiritual.
• Memoir—A book that is an account of one’s personal life and experiences by a single author
• Specialty Book—Books that include a visual element such as art or photography.

Children’s Book—Books written for ages 9 and younger by a single author (and/or illustrator). A children’s book includes picture books and can be fiction or nonfiction.
GLBTQ—Works produced by or for the GLBTQ (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer) community and can be fiction, nonfiction, or poetry.
Graphic Novel—A narrative work where the story is told not only through words, but also sequential art and can be fiction or nonfiction.
Young Adult—Books written for ages 10 and older by a single author (and/or illustrator), and are either fiction or nonfiction.

In the Event a Category Has Fewer than Four Nominees
If a category has fewer than four nominees, authors will have the opportunity to move their books to the next best category. For example, if there are only two books in the Romance category, the authors will be notified and may choose to place the book in the Literary Fiction category. If the author decides that no other category is suitable, the nomination fee will be refunded.
In the Event an Award Is Not Made in a Category
The Georgia Writers Association reserves the right to not award a winner in a category if it is determined that none of the nominations should win. If no winner is selected due to a lack of sufficient nominations in a category, the nomination fee will be refunded. However, if the category judge determines that a category has no first– or second–place winner, the nomination fee will not be refunded.

 http://files.constantcontact.com/8a70c697001/f752b2c5-7285-4575-b92d-0c2dc9e9127a.pdf?ver=1509630037000

NCWN-West's Program Coordinator, Glenda Council Beall to teach writing classes this spring at Tri-County Community College and Young Harris College's Institute for Continuing Learning

Glenda Council Beall will teach writing classes this spring at two colleges.

Beall will teach on Monday evenings beginning in March 2018, from 5:30 – 8:00 PM, at Tri-County Community College in Murphy, NC. Her topic is Creative Writing. Beall writes: Perhaps you want to write about yourself or people you know, places you have been or family history. Perhaps you have always had stories wandering around in your brain and you want to write fiction. Poetry? Prose? Not sure? Your questions will be answered to help you discover your writing niche. This class is for new or aspiring writers. To register, please contact:
 
Lisa Long
Director of Community Outreach
(828) 835-4241
LLong@tricountycc.edu


Beall will also teach at Young Harris College's Institute for Continuing  Learning , beginning in May, the 3rd-24th, 2018, Thursdays from 3:15-5:15 PM.  Registration is made through ICL. More information will  be available as the class gets closer. Institute for Continuing Learning's link is:

http://icltest.org/index.html

Round Robin Reading with Poets and Prose writers at Coffee with the Poets and Writers, at the Moss Memorial Library, Hayesville, NC, Wednesday, November 15, 2017

On November 15^th, 2017, at 10:30 AM, the North Carolina Writers’ Network-West will host Coffee with the Poets and Writers at the Moss Memorial Library. The event will be round-robin style, with several members reading from their works for approximately 40 minutes. Members will include: Glenda Council Beall, Joan Ellen Gage, Bob Grove, Joan M. Howard, Mary Ricketson, and Carroll Taylor. 

After the member readings, guest attendees will be invited to read their work. All open Mic readings will be approximately 3 minutes. 

Coffee and cookies will be provided, and the public is invited. For more information, please contact Joan Ellen Gage at 828-389-3733.

Nov 10: Final Writers' Night of 2017, Blairsville, GA

Christopher Martin & Dana Wildsmith

plus open mic 

(sign up at door to read 3 mins of poetry or prose... leave us wanting more)

Featuring award-winning writers
at Union County Community Center, Blairsville, GA

Old Time Radio Show to be hosted by Ridgeline Literary Alliance and the Cherokee Arts Council, on Saturday, October 21, 2017, at the Murphy Art Center, Murphy, NC

Ridgeline Literary Alliance and the Cherokee County Arts Council  Present:

Old Time Radio Show and readings of prose and poetry

When: Saturday, 10-21-17, 2 pm, at Murphy Art Center (MAC),

Where: 33 Valley River Ave, Murphy NC 28906.

FREE:  Come one come all!

Light refreshments provided by the arts council

The agenda includes 2 old time radio shows (short) complete with props and sound effects, scripts adapted from Bob Grove essays. 8 to 10 Ridgeline members will read original work for 3-5 minutes each.

Cherokee County Arts Council is headed by David Vowell of Brasstown. He and another actor, Ryan Bender drama teacher at The Learning Center, will perform roles in the radio shows. The other roles are filled by Ridgeline members.

The arts council joins with Ridgeline Literary Alliance to provide a literary aspect of their artistic presence in the local community. Ridgeline Literary Alliance is a group for serious writers of any genre.

Old Time Radio Show Links:

 https://www.facebook.com/events/121116788571721/?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A%223%22%2C%22ref_newsfeed_story_type%22%3A%22regular%22%2C%22feed_story_type%22%3A%22263%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22null%22%7D

 http://visitcherokeecountync.com/events/2017/10/old-time-radio-and-poetry/

Writers Lucy Gratton Cole and Mary Michelle Keller to read at The Literary Hour October 19, 2017, at the John C. Campbell Folk School, in Brasstown, NC

On Thursday, October 19, 2017 at 7:00 PM, John C. Campbell Folk School and NC Writers' Network-West will sponsor The Literary Hour, an hour of poetry and prose reading held at Keith House on the JCFS campus, in Brasstown, NC. This is held on the third Thursday of the month unless otherwise indicated. The reading is free of charge and open to the public. Poets and writers Mary Michelle Keller and Lucy Cole Gratton will be the featured readers, returning to the Folk School as one of the more entertaining pair of readers.

Mary Michelle Keller has lived in Towns County 22 years. It is here that she began to write poetry followed by the natural progression into prose. She is a musician, artist and photographer. Keller says that all those loves give root to her poetry as inspiration.

Her poem, As The Deer, published in the anthology, Echoes Across the Blue Ridge, was inspired by an old hymn by the same name that she plays on the dulcimer. She enjoys words; moving them around on paper until a poem, short story or essay emerges.  Keller finds pleasure in reading to a few or many, be it her own words or those of others. She says reading at the Folk School is always a treat; to be able to read her pieces to locals and students of the school is a highlight.

Lucy Cole Gratton is a retired CPA who has lived in the Murphy area over 20 years. She is a graduate of Agnes Scot College and the University of Florida with degrees in mathematics..

Since her retirement Gratton served as Executive Director for the Hiawassee River Watershed Coalition, Inc for several years and continues to assist with the accounting and tax preparation for the Coalition as a volunteer. She is a member and serves as Treasurer of the Mountain Community Chorus, Inc. Gratton is a Cherokee County representative for NCWN and a member of NCWN-West. She coordinates the reading program at John C. Campbell Folk School and serves as moderator.

Gratton's  poems include various topics but predominantly center around her concern for the environments and her home in the woods of Lake Apalachia. Her writing has been published in a variety of venues but she writes predominantly for the love of writing, sharing it with family and friends.