The second annual Crook’s Corner Book Prize - Deadline June 30, 2014.

The second annual Crook’s Corner Book Prize, to be awarded in January 2015, will honor a debut novel set in the American South. The Prize is intended to encourage emerging writers, whether published by established publishing houses, by small independent publishers, or self-published.

Crook’s Corner is an iconic restaurant in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, long a keystone in the pantheon of contemporary Southern cuisine. The Book Prize was inspired not only by the literary tradition of the American South but also by the famous literary cafés of Paris. The Deux Magots, the Flore, and Brasserie Lipp, for example, have for many years awarded prestigious writers’ prizes.

The connection between the literary life and café culture is a close one, as the French know well. “It seems a natural evolution for Crook’s, which is so interwoven with the arts and the literary community, to honor emerging writers,” says Crook’s chef Bill Smith, himself an author. The restaurant, whose walls are lined with the work of local artists, has long been a favorite dining spot for local and visiting writers, artists, and musicians.

The winner of the Crook’s Corner Book Prize will receive $1,000 and a free glass of wine at Crook’s Corner every day for a year.


Submission Guidelines


Eligible Books:

The submitted book must be the author’s first published novel for adult readers, published in the United States between January 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014. Regardless of the author’s residence, the book must be set predominantly in the American South, which includes the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Books may be self-published if they have an ISBN number. Books that are available only as e-books are not eligible.

Submissions are welcome from authors or publishers.

Deadline:

Submissions must be received by June 30, 2014.

How to apply:

1) Pay the $45 entry fee online and proceed to checkout. If paying by check, go to step 3.

2) Fill out the online submission form and click “Submit Form.”

3) Mail two copies of the submitted book, a printed submission form, and proof of online payment or a check for $45 to:
Crook’s Corner Book Prize
313 Country Club Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27514