J. Peder Zane, Chairman of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, served as Master of Ceremonies for the induction ceremony at the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame on Oct. 12.
It was the fourth time Zane has presided over the ceremony, which is one of the highest awards a Tar Heel writer can receive.
Four poets – Betty Adcock, Ronald H. Bayes, Jaki Shelton Green and Shelby Stephenson – were inducted at the ceremony, which drew an overflow crowd to the Weymouth Center in Southern Pines. They join the 53 writers who have been previously honored with induction to the Hall of Fame, which was opened in 1996.
“North Carolina has always prided itself on the strength and breadth of her writers and the Hall is an important way that we recognize and pay tribute to their vast contributions to our state,” Zane said. “It is an honor to be a part of this effort, spreading the good news of great books.”
