Judy Light Ayyildiz

Judy Light Ayyildiz, a graduate of Hollins University Writing Program and MA Liberal Arts, long taught creative writing to all education levels. As a graduate of the Marshall University Teachers College with a major in voice, she spent years in classrooms and on stage as performer, director, and conductor. She has been an instructor and presenter at literary workshops, international conferences on poetry, writing, and women’s studies and has through the Va Commission for the Arts worked extensively through grants as a writer in the schools. Internationally published and translated, she was an editor of Artemis for 13 years, a Blue Ridge Writers Conference founder, Medical Auxiliary President and founder/director of RAMA Chorus. Author of 11 books in 5 genres, including a prize publication Smuggled Seeds, Mud River, Nothing but Time, Forty Thorns, Intervals- Appalachia to Istanbul. And 4 co-written creative writing hands-on supplementary textbooks for students and teachers. Literary publications appeared in New York Quarterly, Mickle Street Review, the new renaissance, Sow’s Ear, Pig Iron Press, Hawaii Pacific Review, Black Water Review, Northeast Journal, Kalliope, The McGuffin,and Nazim Hikmet Festival Chapbook. Judy was featured in international professional biographies in Women in Dialogue and in Outstanding Persons Who Have Come and Gone in Kirklareli,Turkey. Anthologies include a story translated into Italian in International Women Writing Today, a memoir in Biting the Bullet, and The Best of Va Writers Club. Honors include YWCA “Women of Achievement in Education”, Virginia Commission of the Arts grants, various poetry short story prizes, Daughters of Ataturk Award, Nazim Hikmet Poetry Festival Award, Turkish Forum award, College Bookstores Best Book nominee, Gusto Poet Discovery Winner, VCCA Fellow, and JPX International Literary Novel 1st Place, Va Writers Club First Place Nonfiction, Chatter House Press Anthology, Exisle Press Anthology, Editor's Choice First Place Ward's Magazine, translation International Women Writing Today- Biting the Bullet,excerpts from novel, poetry, non-fiction have been included in the 2018 Centennial Writers in VA Anthology, Carilion on Healing Arts in 2018, 1st Place Winner for Writers in Virginia Golden Nib nonfiction award 2019.The Va Writers Club 2021 Anthology. Judy is currently completing a novel titled, Patchwork- Ceredo 1947-49 from which many chapters have appeared in various publications. Web Page: http://www.judylightayyildiz.com