Élan, an international student literary magazine published by the Creative Writing department at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, won highest honors in the 2023 REALM national contest from the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
REALM, which stands for Recognizing Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines, awarded Élan its First Class distinction, bestowed upon only five recipients in the State of Florida and 105 nationwide. The REALM program celebrates the art of writing through publicly recognizing literary magazines produced by students with the support of their teachers. Nominations of 375 student magazines came from 46 states and five countries.
“I am so immensely proud of Élan and its staff, past and present, who have ensured the success of youth creativity in a time when our imagination is needed the absolute most,” said Élan Senior Co-Editor-in-Chief Emma Klopfer.
Élan was originally created as a grassroots publication of the English Department in 1986 and now provides a creativity platform for students globally, including Japan, Korea, India and France. It is published three times a year by a staff of 18 juniors and seniors under the direction of faculty advisor Tiffany Melanson and student editors Niveah Glover, Klopfer and Brendan Nurczyk.
“As a former student editor of Élan, I am especially proud of how the publication has evolved in its 37-year history from a photocopied ‘zine to a world-class international literary publication. It’s a true honor to shepherd these talented young editors through the process every year,” said Melanson.
