July 8, 2010
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Media Contact:   Renée Victoria Hoyos, Executive Director, 865.522.7007 x100
 
Call for Entries: Wilma Dykeman Prize for Essay Writing 2010
 
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.— Do you have a favorite story about a summer trip to the lake?  How about fond memories of lazily floating down a river?  Is there a Tennessee stream that inspires the writer within?
 
If so, then put pen to paper (or finger to key) and submit an essay to the Wilma Dykeman Prize for Essay Writing 2010.  All submissions must be received by August 2, 2010.  Essays must be focused on Tennessee waters or general water topics impacting Tennessee and should be inspired by the works of Wilma Dykeman.  Guidelines are available here  or by calling TCWN at 865-522-7007.
 
Tennessee Clean Water Network (TCWN) sponsors an annual essay contest with prizes for essays about Tennessee waterways.  The prizes are awarded in honor of the late Wilma Dykeman, the 2007 recipient of TCWN’s Bill Russell River Hero Award. 
 
“We are pleased to hold this contest in memory of Wilma Dykeman, an admired and inspirational writer who worked tirelessly to protect the French Broad River,” said Janet King, TCWN Board member and Treasurer.  “Tennessee’s waters are so important to so many residents and visitors alike.”
 
Ms. Dykeman’s legacy includes writing 16 books, including The French Broad and The Tall Woman; being named Tennessee Conservation Writer of the Year; holding the honorary title of Tennessee State Historian; and leaving a love of nature and environmental stewardship and education for future generations.
 
One of Ms. Dykeman’s most notable achievements was her role in designating the French Broad River as an American Heritage River in the 1990s.  Ms. Dykeman devoted much energy and passion to convincing leaders in North Carolina and Tennessee of the river’s worthiness for that designation and the benefits it would bring.
 
The French Broad (1955) recounts the history, legend, biography, sociology and economics of a mountain region that draws its life and ways from this river and its tributaries.  The work, her first, won the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Trophy in 1955.  The French Broad was groundbreaking when published and has never been out of print.  It inspired stewardship of the French Broad River, whose water quality has since vastly improved.
 
Ms. Dykeman passed away at the age of 86 on December 22, 2006, leaving a legacy of environmental stewardship and education for future generations along the French Broad River.