Baltimore woman wins Washington College's Sophie Kerr Prize, at $64K the nation's largest undergraduate literary award.
CHESTERTOWN, Md., May 20, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Washington College's 2019 Sophie Kerr Prize, at $64,000 the nation's largest undergraduate literary prize, has been awarded to Shannon Moran, an English major from Baltimore, Maryland.
Now in its 52nd year, the Sophie Kerr Prize is conferred annually to the graduating senior at Washington College whose work shows the most "ability and promise for future fulfillment in the field of literary endeavor." Moran, whose poetry and prose "deftly relates issues of gender, trauma, and the body," accepted the award at Washington College on Friday, May 17. She was chosen from among six finalists who represented majors across the liberal arts including political science, English, music, and Hispanic studies.
"This dream was built on four years of hard work, dedication to a craft, and a love for it. Thank you for every single person who has helped me become a better writer," Moran said on receiving the award. "May we never stop loving, giving support, and caring for the arts and for those who live within them."
Sean Meehan, Chair of Washington College's Department of English and the Sophie Kerr Committee, says the committee "found Shannon's poetry to be unforgettable and remarkable in its impact and coherence. We marveled at the creative and intellectual integrity of the work overall . . . Amongst an impressive group of finalists, and a very strong field of Washington College writers graduating this year, the committee recognized in Shannon a writer already creating publishable work, and with great promise for her future literary efforts."
The poetry editor for student literary review The Collegian and the blog and social media editor for the student newspaper The Elm, Moran's poetry and prose frequently examines the body and its relationship to familial and romantic relationships. Several of her poems address in searing understatement the lasting trauma of sexual assault.
"Shannon Moran's work strikes an unforgettable, haunting chord in you," says James Allen Hall, Director of the Rose O'Neill Literary House at Washington College. "Her voice exhibits a ferocious vulnerability, honed through a clear dedication to craft."
A video clip of the announcement is here: https://youtu.be/_-dhnRWvlVY
Photo and caption: Shannon Moran, an English major at Washington College, won the 2019 Sophie Kerr Prize.
About Washington College
Founded in 1782, Washington College is the tenth oldest college in the nation and the first chartered under the new Republic. It enrolls approximately 1,450 undergraduates from more than 35 states and a dozen nations. With an emphasis on hands-on, experiential learning in the arts and sciences, and more than 40 multidisciplinary areas of study, the College is home to nationally recognized academic centers in the environment, history, and writing. Learn more at washcoll.edu.
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Contact:
Wendy Clarke
Director of College Communications
Washington College, Chestertown, MD
[email protected], 410-810-7431
SOURCE Washington College
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