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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2003

Birmingham-Southern's Hackney Writing Awards winners announced

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—The Hackney Literary Awards were presented March 7 during the 23rd annual Writing Today conference at Birmingham-Southern College.

The competition, sponsored since 1969 by the Cecil Hackney family of Birmingham, awards $5,000 prizes in national and Alabama categories for poetry and short fiction. A $5,000 prize for an unpublished novel also is awarded and sponsored by T. Morris Hackney, chairman of the board of The Hackney Group of Birmingham and Birmingham-Southern College trustee. The Hackney Awards are open to writers nationwide.

Anne Panning of Brockport, N.Y., won in the unpublished novel category.

This year's winners in the state of Alabama categories included:

Adam Vines of Birmingham, first place in poetry; Gail Gehlken of Mobile, second place in poetry; Daniel Robbins of Trussville, third place in poetry; John Cottle of Eclectic, first place in short story; Susan Luther of Huntsville, second place in short story; and Ted Vodde of Alabaster, third place in short story.

Winners in the national categories included:

Melissa Morphew of Huntsville, Texas, first place in poetry; Vivian Shipley of North Haven, Conn., second place in poetry; Mary Shay McGuire of State College, Pa., third place in poetry; Kate Small of Portland, Ore., first place in short story; Nickell John Romjue of Yorktown, Va., second place in short story; and Mary Larkin of Asheville, N.C., third place in short story.