Edith Lee '18 has been named a Breakout 8 winner in a writing competition sponsored by Epiphany and The Authors Guild.

The Breakout 8 Writers Prize competition is open to both graduate and undergraduate poets and writers. Only eight winners from across the country were selected from hundreds of submissions, and several of the winners are current MFA candidates

"I am so happy for Edith, and so impressed with her winning this award," says Jane Hilberry, Colorado College professor of English and the author of five books, one of which won the Colorado Book award for poetry. "It's quite an honor for an undergraduate to be chosen. It is a major award and will launch Edith as a writer.

"Edith is a hugely talented poet - she is meticulous about her craft, and she has the ability to write about a whole range of subjects, from the satirical to the tender. I look forward to watching her career unfold," Hilberry says.

Lee, an English major with a concentration in creative writing, submitted a compilation of poems that were written for classes between her freshman and senior year.

"I'm very grateful to have gotten this prize, especially because getting my writing in print is something I'd love to work on in the future," says the Auckland, New Zealand, native.

Lee plans to teach English in South Korea after graduation.

The competition, launched this year, seeks to recognize outstanding emerging literary voices and bring visibility to future writers. The eight winners will receive publication in Epiphany's Breakout Eight special issue; a $250 cash prize; a year-long mentorship with Epiphany editor-in-chief Tracy O'Neill; a complimentary one-year membership to the Authors Guild, including free access to seminars, webinars, and the writers' resource library; a featured interview published on the Epiphany website, in the Authors Guild Bulletin, and on the Authors Guild website; a one-year subscription to Epiphany; and a short manuscript review.