Rusty Hodgdon wins 2016 Key West Writers Guild award

The Florida Keys Council of the Arts, in conjunction with the Key West Writers Guild is pleased to announce that Rusty Hodgdon has garnered this year’s writing award for his novel, “Selfie.” Rusty is a graduate of Yale University where he majored in English Literature and Creative Writing. After graduating with a Juris Doctor degree from the Boston University School of Law, he practiced law for over twenty years in the Boston area, first as a Public Defender, then with his own firm. He left the practice of law and moved to Key West, Florida to pursue his passion to write creative fiction. He has written five novels, which he describes as “Psycho-Thrillers:” The Subway Killer; Insanity; Suicide; The Eye; and the Phantom Writer, all of which are available on Amazon and Kindle. Rusty is the President of the Key West Writers Guild, the longest standing writers’ group in Key West, and also the winner of the 2012 Key West Mystery Fest Short Story contest.

This year marks the thirteenth annual award for the cash prize which is supported by an endowment under the administration of the Arts Council.

Past winners include: Joanna Brady Schmida, Richard DeGrasse, Harry Schroeder, Elizabeth Warner and Eddie Goldstein.

The manuscript, identified only by number, was reviewed in a competitive field of submittals and selected by three distinguished judges: Bill Grose, retired executive vice president at Simon & Schuster, Board Member of the Friends of the Library and the Studios of Key West. Ben Harrison, author, musician, and playwright, and Theresa Axford, Board Chair of the Florida Keys Council of the Arts and Executive Director of Teaching & Learning for the Monroe County School District.

Local writers with works in progress are encouraged to apply for the 2017 award of $2,000. To qualify, one must be a resident of Monroe County, a member of the Key West Writers Guild, and working on either a novel or a work of non-fiction. Applicants must read from their work at two meetings of the Key West Writers Guild. Membership is paid annually, and meetings are held at 9:00 a.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month at Key West by the Sea. For more information – please visit the Arts Council website www.keysarts.com

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