Emrys was a partnership formed in 1981 by Keller Cushing Freeman and Sally Wyche Coenen to create and produce original works of poetry, music and drama. Emrys, a Welsh word meaning “Child of Light,” is the original name of King Arthur’s magician, Merlin.

The Emrys Foundation was created in 1983 to encourage the literary, visual, and performing arts in the southeast. It sponsored music competitions and presented concerts, art exhibitions, conferences, creative writing awards, poetry workshops, readings, and lectures. The Emrys Journal was published annually from 1984 through 2022 and was the group’s primary publication, providing a medium for southern writers to publish their work. The Young Emrys Journal came later and published through 2021, featuring voices from elementary through high school students.

The foundation also launched Emrys Press in 1995, which published a number of books including books from founding member Keller Freeman. Emrys Press has been an active, multifaceted branch of the foundation since its creation, including hosting an annual Poetry Chapbook Contest that published a book by its winner since 2016.

Emrys continued to work with the Upstate creative community, sponsoring creative writing workshops in schools and working alongside local businesses to host events and readings. Their work was recognized with accolades such as the Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Award for the Arts in 2004, which recognized Emrys’ outstanding contributions to the arts in South Carolina.

Emrys’ final publications were in 2022 and the foundation closed its doors in 2023.