The Mrs. Giles Whiting Foundation named the 10 recipients of the 2012 Whiting Writers’ Awards Tuesday, and for the second consecutive year, the list includes two Idahoans.

This year’s winners are award-winning short story writer Alan Heathcock of Boise, and Obie Award-winning playwright Sam Hunter, who grew up in Moscow and now lives in New York City.

Heathcock grew up in the Chicago area and moved to Idaho 10 years ago at the suggestion of his friend, writer Tony Doerr. He started working on his collection of stories that would become “Volt: Stories” as he earned a second degree in writing at Boise State and then taught creative writing there.

Since the book came out in 2011, Heathcock has been gaining national attention and awards.

In 2011, Hunter won his Obie for his play “A Bright New Boise,” which takes place between a father and son in a Boise Hobby Lobby break room. The Obie is the award for Off-Broadway theater given by the Village Voice that is the equivalent of Broadway’s Tony.

In 2011, University of Idaho professor Daniel Orozco won a Whiting for his story collection “Orientation and Other Stories,” and Boise poet Kerri Webster for her collection “We Do Not Eat Our Hearts Alone.”

Each recipient receives a $50,000 award.

The Whiting grants have been given annually since 1985 to writers of exceptional talent and promise in their early career.

The winner received their awards at a banquet in New York City Tuesday.

Dana Oland: 377-6442, Twitter: @IDS_DanaOland