Northwestern University SCHOOL OF CONTINUING STUDIES

A Georgia native, writer Jeremy T. Wilson hoped to join the great tradition of southern writers — names like Twain, O’Connor, Faulkner and Welty. But it was further north, in Chicago, where he would end up accepting a major literary prize: the Nelson Algren Award, named for the iconic Chicago writer. Wilson won the 2012 award for his short story “Everything is Going to be Ok,” based on his experiences in Chicago. “It was a breakthrough,” he says. “After moving here and experiencing the MFA writing workshops at SCS, I felt I could move in a new direction.” Read more.