University of Louisiana at Monroe student Chris Leader will receive his short fiction award at the Southern Literary Festival March 30 – 31 at Rhodes College in Memphis.

Leader’s entry, titled "damn spot," placed third in its category at the SLF and was also published in ULM’s student literary magazine, the Helicon. At 18 years of age, Leader has already earned his junior classification as a double major in finance and economics.

According to J. Eric McNeil, director of Student Publications, ULM students have a history of winning in the SLF’s different divisions. This year, about 20 universities across the South participated.

The Helicon is now available, and will soon be sold in the Student Union Building.