The Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame inducted its first six members — Harriette Arnow, William Wells Brown, Harry Caudill, Elizabeth Madox Roberts, James Still and Robert Penn Warren — on Thursday evening.

Other finalists included historian Thomas D. Clark, writer/teacher Guy Davenport, journalist/novelist John Fox Jr., novelist Janice Holt Giles, novelist/poet/teacher James Baker Hall, Trappist monk/writer Thomas Merton and novelist/short story writer Jesse Stuart.

In this first year of the Hall of Fame, nominees were limited to writers who are no longer living.

That aside, "We tried to be as inclusive as possible," said Neil Chethik, executive director of the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning, which hosts the Hall of Fame and held the announcement celebration on Thursday evening.

Cheryl Truman: (859)231-3202. Twitter: @CherylTruman