Langston Hughes 2011 Creative Writing Award Winners

The Lawrence Arts Center and the Raven Book Store Announce Winners of the 15th Annual Langston Hughes Creative Writing Contest

The Lawrence Arts Center and the Raven Book Store are pleased to announce the winners of the 15th Annual Langston Hughes Creative Writing Awards.  The LHCRA Committee has chosen two local writers of fiction and poetry.

Fiction winner:  Beth Reiber
Poetry winner:  Mary Stone Dockery

The Langston Hughes Creative Writing Award ceremony will be held on Tuesday, February 1, 7PM ( rescheduled for Thursday, February 17 at 7:00), at the Lawrence Arts Center (940 New Hampshire Street).  The celebration and reception will include readings, music, and refreshments and is open to the public. 

Bio: Mary Stone Dockery

Mary Stone graduated from Missouri Western State University in 2009 with a BA in English Literature. Her work has appeared in Spring Formal, North Central Review, Flint Hills Review, Touchstone and FutureCycle Poetry, among others. Her poem “Wine Again” received the award for Best Poem in the 2009 edition of Canvas at Missouri Western State University. Currently, she is an MFA student at the University of Kansas, studying poetry.

Bio: Beth Reiber

Although I have never written fiction for publication, I have earned a living as a freelance travel writer for more than three decades. I have been writing and updating Frommer’s guides to Japan, Tokyo and Hong Kong for more than 25 years and am also the author of Frommer’s Berlin, Frommer’s Walking Tours Berlin, Frommer’s Walking Tours Tokyo, Frommer’s St. Louis/Kansas City, and A Serious Shopper’s Guide to London. Over the years I have also contributed to Frommer’s Europe from $$ a Day series, Frommer’s Europe by Rail, Frommer’s Southeast Asia, Frommer’s China, Frommer’s USA, and America on Wheels—South Central States & Texas.

Prior to focusing on guide books I wrote travel articles that appeared in many publications, including National Geographic Traveler, Discovery (Cathay Pacific’s inflight magazine), Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Philadelphia Inquirer, Atlanta Constitution, Miami Herald, Chicago Tribune, Minneapolis Tribune, Denver Post, Houston Chronicle, San Diego Union, San Francisco Examiner and many other newspapers. I lived four years in Germany (two of which were on year-abroad programs through KU) and three years in Japan (one year of which I served as editor of Far East Traveler, published in Tokyo).

Sponsors of the Langston Hughes Creative Writing Award