The winner in the fiction category is Berry senior Emily Caldwell, of Knoxville, Tenn., with her work titled, "A Brief Outburst of Pent-Up Aggression." The runner-up is Berry freshman Ciara Stephens of Decatur, Ga. Her work is titled, "Solo."

The winner in poetry is Berry sophomore Chelsea Fryar of Chattanooga, Tenn. The runner-up is Jenny VanFossen, a sophomore at Georgia Highlands College. Both students submitted several poems for consideration.

The winner for creative non-fiction is Berry senior McKenzie Reeves, of Cumming, Ga., with her work, "Popsicle Stick Jesus." Runner-up is Kasey Haessler, a Berry senior from Dacula, Ga. Her work is titled, "Goodbye Squirrel."

First prize was a $100 Barnes & Noble gift card. The contest was open to female students attending Shorter University, Georgia Highlands College, Georgia Northwestern Technical College, or Berry. Submitted work could not exceed 10 pages for poetry or prose. Judges included Berry visiting professors Alex Quinlan and Abby Greenbaum and judging was blind. The winners will read their work Thursday at the conference.

The Southern Women Writers Conference concluded Sept. 23. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author Isabel Wilkerson was one of 12 featured speakers. 

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