George Heiring, long time member of the Greensboro Writers Guild, was the winner of four awards in the annual contest sponsored by the Georgia Poetry Society, the highest number received by any poet in the 2013 competition.  Out of 351 total entries in seven categories, Heiring collected one first place, one second place, two honorable mentions, and cash prizes totaling $125 dollars.

Awards were made at the Society’s quarterly meeting in Athens January 18 where winning entries were read to an appreciative audience.

“I was sincerely honored to be recognized for my poetry, especially by judges who are poets of national stature,” Heiring said. “I must admit, though, the   majority of my time is spent writing short stories and essays.” 

Heirings work appears in national and regional publications. He serves as vice president of the new Georgia Writers Museum underway in Eatonton.  His most recent book Turning Leaves is a collection of seasonal stories and poems illustrated by his collaborator Gail Vail and thirteen regional painters.  It is available for sale at Spillin the Beans Coffee Shop and Deck the Walls in the lake area, and Genuine Georgia in Greensboro.