News Center

Hendrix Students Bring Home Four Awards from Southern Literary Festival

Murphy Scholars win in fiction, poetry, one-act play, and print journal categories

CONWAY, Arkansas (February 22, 2024)—Hendrix College celebrates five students whose work has earned awards in the Southern Literary Festival’s 2024 undergraduate writing contest:

Fiction

First place: “Underwater, Underground,” by Elliot Jackson ’24 

Poetry

First place: “For Essie,” by Dominic Diamond ’25 

One-Act Play

Second place: “Such a Liar,” by Charlotte Miller ’26 

Aonian cover vol 65 2023.pngPrint Journal

First place: Aonian | Hendrix College (Editor-in-Chief: Phillip Powell ’23; Associate Editor: Annie Elliott ’24; Advisor: Julia Lee McGill ’14, Communication and Events Manager for the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation Programs in Literature and Language)

All winners are invited to read their work at the Southern Literary Festival, set for April 4-6 at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi. Winners also receive a cash prize and will be published in this year’s Southern Literary Festival anthology.

“I’m thrilled for each of our winners, who have dedicated such care and thought to their work,” said Dr. Tyrone Jaeger, the Isabelle Peregrin Odyssey Professor of English-Creative Writing at Hendrix. “That the writing came out of a classroom context also speaks to the quality of our community of writers.”  

This year, all winners from Hendrix were part of the Murphy Scholars Program, administered by the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation Programs in Literature and Language.

“This recognition is so affirming for our students and the professors and mentors who work with them,” said Hendrix-Murphy Foundation Director and Associate Professor of English Hope Coulter. “Since all the winners are Murphy Scholars in Literature and Language, their success also speaks to how the support of this program really positions them to shine.” 

About Hendrix College

Founded in 1876, Hendrix College is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges and celebrated among the country’s leading liberal arts colleges for academic quality, engaged learning opportunities and career preparation, vibrant campus life, and value. The Hendrix College Warriors compete in 21 NCAA Division III sports. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. Learn more at www.hendrix.edu.  

“… Through engagement that links the classroom with the world, and a commitment to diversity, inclusion, justice, and sustainable living, the Hendrix community inspires students to lead lives of accomplishment, integrity, service, and joy.” —Hendrix College Statement of Purpose