August 20, 2024
Chapel Hill, North Carolina—The Crook’s Corner Book Prize Foundation today announced its annual Longlist for best debut novel set in the American South. The $5,000 prize winner will be announced in January 2025.
The Longlist is:
The Peach Seed
by Anita Gail Jones
(Henry Holt & Co.)
Banyan Moon
by Thao Thai
(Mariner Books/Harper Collins)
Coleman Hill
by Kim Foote
(SJP Lit)
Late Bloomers
by Deepa Varadarajan
(Random House)
Fireworks Every Night
by Beth Raymer
(Penguin Random House)
Ours
by Phillip B. Williams
(Viking/Penguin Publishing Group)
In the Shadow of the Greenbrier
by Emily Matchar
(Penguin Random House)
Redwood Court
by DéLana R.A. Dameron
(The Dial Press/Penguin Random
House)
Colton Gentry’s Third Act
by Jeff Zentner
(Grand Central Publishing)
Dixon, Descending
by Karen Outen
(Dutton, Penguin Random House)
A Hand to Hold in Deep Water
by Shawn Nocher
(Blackstone Publishing)
The Violin Conspiracy
by Brendan Slocumb
(Anchor)
Judging for this year’s Prize is award-winning author Megan Mayhew Bergman. She currently teaches literature and environmental writing at Middlebury College, where she also serves as Director of the Bread Loaf Environmental Writers’ Conference.
“It is always quite amazing how many debut novels set in the American South are published each year. We are proud and delighted to turn a spotlight on these exceptional new writers delving into various aspects of the South in 2024” said Anna Hayes, Foundation President.
The Crook’s Corner Book Prize continues to highlight emerging fiction writers, who typically face some of the toughest obstacles in publishing. Although eligible books must be predominantly set in the South, authors may live anywhere, and all genres of fiction, except for Young Adult, are eligible. The 2024 Prize was awarded in January to Bobby Finger’s “The Old Place” (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, Penguin Random House).
The Crook’s Corner Book Prize Shortlist will be announced in September.
About the Crook’s Corner Book Prize
Inspired by the literary prizes awarded by famous Parisian cafés such as the Deux Magots and the Café de Flore, the Crook’s Corner Book Prize honors the iconic Crook’s Corner, which for 40 years was a culinary, literary, and artistic beacon in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Sadly, Crook’s Corner closed in 2021. However, the Crook’s Corner Book Prize will continue its annual award, a fitting homage to the unforgettable restaurant. For more information on the Prize and submission guidelines, please visit www.CrooksCornerBookPrize.com or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
