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The literary work of two University of North Georgia (UNG) students received high honors from the Southern Literary Festival (SLF), which is set for April 20-22 at Middle Tennessee State University.

Ashley Tunnell's submission "Crystallization" won first place in the poetry category, and Ethan Holtzclaw's entry "Ships that Pass in the Night" took third in the short story category. The young authors will be published in the 2023 SLF Anthology and are invited to read their winning work at the festival.

"The festival's recognition of my work means the world to me. I am so appreciative of UNG's English Department for its support, and I am especially grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in Professor McEver's creative writing class last semester," Tunnell, a junior from Blairsville, Georgia, pursuing a degree in psychology, said. "Being part of such a talented group of storytellers made me a better author. I'm excited to continue to learn and grow as a writer, and I look forward to creating more work to share."

Holtzclaw is a junior from Dawsonville, Georgia, pursuing an English (writing & publishing concentration) degree. He was UNG's first top-three finisher in the short story category since 2011.

“I am deeply grateful to be recognized at the Southern Literary Festival,” Holtzclaw said. “It is truly humbling to be given such a high honor. I owe everything to Professor McEver’s Creative Writing class, and to all the wonderful people who have encouraged me along my writing career.”

Each year, staff members of The Chestatee Review, UNG's student literary magazine, attend the undergraduate creative writing conference, which includes the writing contest where about 15 colleges and universities from the South vie for prizes in various categories. 

"I am really proud of The Chestatee Review and our students. It is always just a beautiful, captivating design, and I enjoy reading the work that our students produce," Dr. Diana Edelman, professor of English and department head, said. 

Matthew McEver and Ezekiel Black are faculty advisers for the Chestatee Review.

The Chestatee Review is published annually in the spring and hosts several literary events and contests each semester.