The Mary Frances Hobson Lecture and Prize at Chowan University celebrated its 25th anniversary by nominating best-selling author Wiley Cash as the 2019 recipient. Cash is most known for his bestseller A Land More Kind Than Home and his most recent novel The Last Ballad. Cash visited the University campus on what is unofficially known as “Hobson Day” to speak with students and community members about his work.

The first glimpse into the life of a bestselling author came with the Hobson Dialogue, a question and answer session where audience members asked Cash about his novels, process, and his life as a writer. Later in the afternoon, a pre-dinner reception sponsored by the Friends of the Library was held in the Wayland L. Jenkins, Jr. Fine Arts Center. The Hobson Lecture and a brief book-signing opportunity followed the Hobson Dinner, where the Hobson prize was conferred upon Cash.

“I’ve had the best time meeting with students and engaging with them and hanging out with administrators and the Hobsons,” said Cash.  “Know that the work you’re doing here is good and it means a lot to someone like me, who grew up desperately wanting to be a North Carolina writer—a Southern writer—to come and receive an award like this and meet people like you. Thank you for being part of this day and part of this event for me.”

The Mary Frances Hobson Lecture and Prize for Distinguished Achievement in Arts and Letters was initiated by the Hobson Family Foundation as a memorial to Mary Frances Hobson, a journalist and poet. She was the first woman to receive the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award in journalism from the University of North Carolina. The Mary Frances Hobson Prize is awarded annually to recognize the distinguished achievement of a person in the field of arts and letters.