eMerge, the online literary magazine of the Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow (WCDH), continues to grow and establish itself among the broader literary community. The first eMerge anthology, the Dairy Hollow Echo, was awarded a 2022 International Book Award hosted by American Book Fest. The Dairy Hollow Echo won in the Poetry: Anthologies category and was also a finalist in the Fiction: Anthologies category. Over 400 winners and finalists were announced in over 90 categories at the American Book Fest. Awards were presented for titles published in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
The Dairy Hollow Echo may be purchased at WCDH during office hours (Monday – Friday, 9:00 – 5:00). Print and Kindle versions are also available from Amazon. Proceeds benefit the WCDH scholarship fund and the continuation of eMerge. Past issues of eMerge are available at https://emerge-writerscolony.org.
WCDH began publishing eMerge, to offer novice and established WCDH writers of diverse genres an opportunity to see their work published and to nurture their artistic endeavors. eMerge Acquisitions Editor Charles Templeton explained, “It is our hope that, by promoting the work of those who stayed with us, we are also promoting WCDH as a sanctuary for creativity.” The first edition, in which fifteen WCDH alumni were published, became available in the summer of 2017. Four issues will be published in 2022 with about 40 literary pieces in each.
The Dairy Hollow Echo, released in August 2020, is an anthology of selected works from eMerge. It features 107 stories, poems, essays, and other creative work by 87 authors. Templeton said, “Writers ask us to look deep within ourselves and question who we are and where we are going. They ask us to look at our values and morality and equate them to our actions with those we love, those who are different, those we envy, and those we despise. Their stories ask us to share their experiences or to enjoy the moment and be entertained. And when you read these stories, you will have a greater understanding of the power of the human spirit and why language is so important.”
WCDH Executive Director Michelle Hannon said, “eMerge is a wonderful platform for us to celebrate our writers and share work that is as diverse as they are. We are thrilled to be honored with the International Book Award for the Dairy Hollow Echo. Thanks to eMerge Editor Emeritus, Charles Templeton, his wife Sandra, and his daughter Cat, for publishing eMerge its first five years and for compiling the Dairy Hollow Echo anthology. We are incredibly proud that our little non-profit is able to produce such high-quality literature, but it would not have happened without the Templetons.”
The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit literary arts organization whose mission is to nurture writers of all genres, backgrounds, and levels of experience in a supportive environment that builds community, energizes creative expression, stimulates new thinking, and optimizes productivity. Since opening its doors to writers in 2000, the Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow has made a lasting impact on the arts and literary communities by hosting over 1,800 writers from 48 states and 13 countries. For more information, please call (479)253-7444.