When the University hosts the 2010 induction ceremony for the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame next March, two members of its family will join illustrious literary company.

Judith Ortiz Cofer and Philip Lee Williams, both members of the faculty and staff of the Franklin College, are among the four inductees into the Hall of Fame. Previously inducted writers include Alice Walker, James Dickey and Flannery O’Connor.

A native of Puerto Rico, Cofer moved with her family to Augusta at the age of 15. She joined the University faculty in 1984 and today is the Regents’ and Franklin Professor of English and Creative Writing. Her work “The Line of the Sun,” published in 1989, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

“Although it is unexpected, it is just a wonderful honor to be included among the native-born Georgia writers,” Cofer said. “It means my adopted home has adopted me.”

Much of Cofer’s literary output, which includes prose, poetry and essays, focuses on young people moving between Puerto Rican and American cultures.

Williams, assistant dean for public information in the Franklin College, graduated from the University in 1972. He worked as an editor for several local newspapers, including the Athens Observer, before being hired by the University to work as a science writer.

Although Williams is the recipient of a Georgia Governor’s Award in Humanities and has twice been recognized as Georgia Writer of the Year, he says he understands the magnitude of this selection.

“I’m just thrilled,” Williams said. “There are just so many spectacularly talented writers in the [Georgia Writers] Hall of Fame.”

During his career as a journalist, Williams wrote his first novel, “The Heart of a Distant Forest,” which was published in 1984.

Williams won the 2004 Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction for the novel “The Distant Forest.” His most recent novel, “Campfire Boys,” also about the American Civil War, was published last month by Mercer University Press.

Williams said being inducted to the hall of fame was an inspiration to continue writing.

“It is a spur to keep working,” Williams said. “A lot of people feel like when you get this kind of award it marks the end of your career, but I certainly hope it marks a new beginning for me. I got a lot of things I still want to get published.”

Williams’ upcoming book, titled “The Flower Seeker,” is an epic poem about American naturalist William Bartram.

The Georgia Writers Hall of Fame was established by the University Libraries in 2000 to honor the state’s most influential writers. Selections of inductees are made each year by a Board of Judges.

Along with Cofer and Williams, Georgia Douglas Camp Johnson and Walter Francis White were named 2010 honorees. These two African-American writers will be inducted posthumously.