Four Finalists Announced for South Carolina First Novel Prize
June 12, 2012
COLUMBIA, SC – June 12, 2012 – The South Carolina Arts Commission and Hub City Press announce the four books named finalists in the 2012 South Carolina First Novel Competition. The finalists are The Echo of Memory by Mark Sibley-Jones of Greer; Split Sets by Kam Neely of Spartanburg; Burn by Alexis L. Stratton of Columbia; and The Stranger Room by Susan C. Tekulve of Spartanburg. Fifty-five unpublished manuscripts were submitted for the prize.
The winner will be announced June 21 in Columbia and will have his or her book published in 2013 by Hub City Press of Spartanburg.
South Carolina novelist Josephine Humphreys, author of Nowhere Else on Earth, is this year’s judge of the biennial First Novel contest.
The two previous First Novel winners are Brian Ray of Columbia, author of Through the Pale Door (2008), selected by Percival Everett; and Matt Matthews of Greenville, author of Mercy Creek (2010), selected by Bret Lott.
Partnering again with the S.C. Arts Commission and Hub City Press for this competition are The Humanities CouncilSC and the South Carolina State Library.
For more information about the First Novel Competition, visit or call www.SouthCarolinaArts.com/firstnovel (803) 734-8696; or www.hubcity.org (864) 577-9349.
Hub City Press
Hub City Press, a nonprofit press in Spartanburg, S.C., has published more than 50 books by regional authors, won eight national IPPY awards from Independent Publisher magazine, is a recipient of the Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Award for the Arts, and has partnered with the S.C. Arts Commission on four previous book projects. For more information, visit www.hubcity.org or call (864) 577-9349.
About the South Carolina Arts Commission:
The South Carolina Arts Commission is the state agency charged with creating a thriving arts environment that benefits all South Carolinians, regardless of their location or circumstances. Created by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1967, the Arts Commission works to increase public participation in the arts by providing services, grants and leadership initiatives in three areas: arts education, community arts development and artist development. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the Arts Commission is funded by the state of South Carolina, by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts, and other sources. For more information, visit www.SouthCarolinaArts.com or call (803) 734-8696.
