Writers from near and far gathered this weekend at the Pamlico Writers Conference and Literary Competition.

In its fourth year, the event was held at the Turnage Theatre in downtown Washington and featured a keynote address by award-winning author Sharyn McCrumb, the opportunity for writers to pitch their stories to publishers and writing and publishing workshops. The writers conference drew to a close with a final reception and the announcement of this year’s winners of the Pamlico Writers Literary Competition.

“Everybody indicated they had a very good time, (they were) very pleased with the conference,” said Jim Keen, one of the conference organizers. “We’re a very small conference. We compete with great, big, huge conferences everywhere. We’re small and have a very hands-on atmosphere and they enjoy that.”

The conference was established to give budding writers an educational opportunity, Keen said. Over the years, its reach has expanded.

Keen said this year’s conference-goers traveled from Morehead, New Bern, Greenville and Raleigh, while entries to the literary competition came from Georgia, New Jersey, Maryland, Florida, 16 communities in North Carolina, and from an American living in Jiangsu, China.

“We have shifted from a local focus to a regional focus and we have people come from all over now,” Keen said.

Many of them took part in the Pamlico Writers Literary Competition, which places emphasis on creative writing in the high school and refinement of writing among adults, according to a press release from the Pamlico Writers Group. Monetary prizes go to first-and second-place winners, and scholarships go to the high school winners in prose and poetry categories — the hope is to increase those scholarships in the years to come, Keen said.

 

Pamlico Writers Literary Competition Awards:

Fiction
First Place

Merry Simmons, Wilson, “The Naming of Things: Told from a child’s point of view”

Second Place

Michael Worthington, Elizabeth City, “The Farmer’s Daughter”

Honorable Mention

Jack Fay, Jasper, Georgia, “Mr. Hurley Leaves the Hospital”

 

Nonfiction
First Place

Richard Knowles, Harkers Island, “Long, Cold Roads”

Second Place

Michael Worthington, Elizabeth City, “W.O. Sanders: the Independent Man”

Honorable Mention

Sarah Swan, “Bus Ride”

 

Poetry
First Place

Deborah Doolittle, Jacksonville, “My Mother’s Rocky Road to Dublin” and two other poems

Second Place

James Kelley, Tarboro, “The Ruins of Aleppo” and two other poems

Honorable Mention

Marty Silverthorne, Greenville, “Broken Hearted” and two other poems.

 

High School Prose
First Place

Michaela Rappleyea, Greenville, “Rolling in her Grave”

Honorable Mention

Lisa Dong, Cary, “Project 001: Eve”

Emily Garroway, Miami, Florida, “Forgotten Footsteps”

 

High School Poetry
First Place

Sarah Haglund, Winterville, “A Prayer for Her”

Honorable Mention

Antonella Reyes, Miami, Florida, “Punta Gorda”

Sarah Haglund, Winterville, “Pieces”