Award-winning writers whose poems, novels, and plays have been lauded across the country have been named to the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame, based at the University of Georgia Libraries.
The inductee class of 2026 honors Alice Friman, Charlie Smith, and Shay Youngblood. The three writers' literary legacies have been felt across the Peach State, from Friman’s tenure at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville to Smith’s roots in Moultrie and Youngblood’s connections to Atlanta.
In April, UGA’s Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library will host a poetry reading and induction ceremony to commemorate the work of Friman and Smith. The 6 p.m. event will be held on Friday, April 24 at ATHICA — Athens Institute for Contemporary Art. A posthumous celebration of Youngblood will be scheduled at a later date.
“This year’s honorees have contributed to a diverse array of creative writing forms, including poetry, plays, and novels. While rooted in Georgia, their legacies extend far beyond, inspiring community and uplifting future generations of storytellers,” said Katherine Stein, associate university librarian for special collections and director of the Hargrett Library.
Alice Friman is an award-winning poet and author of eight full-length books, including Blood Weather, The View from Saturn, and Vinculum. A New York City native who taught creative writing at the University of Indianapolis, Friman served as poet-in-residence at Georgia College and State University’s Master of Fine Arts program from 2003 to 2017. Her work has earned her two Pushcart Prizes, the Georgia Author of the Year Award in Poetry, three prizes from the Poetry Society of America, and the Ezra Pound Poetry Award.
Born in Moultrie, Ga., Charlie Smith is a poet and novelist who wrote five New York Times Notable Books. In addition to working as a newspaper writer and editor, businessman, farmer, and laborer throughout his career, Smith taught creative writing at the University of Alabama and Princeton University. Smith’s work has earned him the Aga Khan Prize from The Paris Review, the National Poetry Series, the Levinson Prize from Poetry Magazine, and the Great Lakes New Poets Award, as well as grants from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New York Foundation for the Arts. He has been a member of PEN and the Academy of American Poets and previously served on the Poetry Society of America’s board of directors.
Shay Youngblood, a native of Columbus, Ga., began her writing career while working at Atlanta’s Charis Books. A playwright, poet, and fiction author, Youngblood taught creative writing at Syracuse Community Writer’s Project and play writing at the Rhode Island Correctional Institution for Women, and she served as the John and Renee Grisham Writer-in-Residence at the University of Mississippi. Her debut play Shakin’ the Mess Outta Misery, premiered at Atlanta’s Horizon Theatre in 1988 and continues to be produced on stages across the country. Youngblood’s work has garnered a NAACP Theater Award, the Pushcart Prize, the Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award, and an award from the Paul Green Foundation. She was named an Edward Albee Honoree and a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. Youngblood died in June 2024 of ovarian cancer.
The Georgia Writers Hall of Fame honors Georgia writers, past and present, whose work reflects the character of the state, its land and people. Friman, Smith, and Youngblood join a distinguished group of more than 75 writers recognized for their literary achievements, including recipients of prestigious awards such as the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award.
For updates on event details and to learn more about the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame, visit georgiawritershalloffame.org.