Georgia Writers

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Georgia Writers

Georgia Writers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit writing organization dedicated to promoting and elevating writers from various points in their careers.

Georgia Writers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that connects creatives across the state of Georgia and beyond, uplifts marginalized voices, facilitates accessibility within the community, and connects writers so that they can learn from each other through monthly writing workshops and the annual Red Clay Writers Conference. GW also supports writers through the Literary Event Grants of Georgia, maintains the Georgia Writers Registry, and hosts the Georgia Author of the Year Awards.

08/24/2026

🌟GWA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT🌟

We’re excited to spotlight Janie Dempsey Watts (GAYA nominee and National Indie Excellence Award Finalist), who will be having a book signing for her book Mostly True: Stories with a Southern Sensibility on Saturday August 29th from 12 P.M. - 4 P.M. at The Crazy Book Lady in Acworth! Mostly True includes stories of growing up in the South, moving away to California, and returning home to live near her family's Georgia farm.

Congratulations, Janie! 👏📖📚

Get to Know Janie:

A master storyteller, Janie is the author of two novels (Moon Over Taylor's Ridge and Return to Taylor's Crossing), two short story collections (Mostly True and Mothers, Sons, Beloveds, and Other Strangers), and a children's picture book. After many years of living in California, Janie returned to North Georgia to live near Taylor's Ridge, a setting that appears in much of her work. When not reading or writing, she walks on the family farm, feeds the barn cats, or travels the back roads in search of the perfect size okra pods.

Mostly True is available to purchase at The Crazy Book Lady and Barnes and Noble. For more information about the book signing, swipe to see the event flyer in the next slide. ✍️

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Did you know that all GWA members are eligible to have their literary achievements featured on our socials? Check our July newsletter for information on how to have your recent achievements featured. Not a member? This is just one of many perks of being a Georgia Writers Association member, so join today on our website!

08/23/2026

Hey, Georgia Writers! Tickets are now live for the 16th annual Red Clay Writers Conference. Link to tickets in bio.

Join us on Saturday October 17th from 9-5 at the KSU Marietta Campus for an exciting day of panels, readings, and workshops featuring a lineup of amazing Georgia authors. Our keynote for this year is acclaimed memoirist and 2022 Georgia Author of the Year Danté Stewart! 🎉🍑📖✍️

Tickets are $85 and can be purchased at the Givebutter link in our bio. All current GWA members receive 30% off, so if you’re not a member yet, now is the perfect time to sign up.

For more information on Red Clay, including the lineup of guest authors, vendor information, and volunteer positions, head to the link in our bio.

See y’all at the conference! 👋

08/19/2026

🌟GAYA 2026 WINNER SPOTLIGHT🌟

And finally, taking us home with our GAYA 2026 spotlights, we have Channelle Desamours for Needy Little Things, the winner in the young adult category!

Here’s judge Terry J. Benton Walker () with his kudos on Channelle’s book:

"Desamours has crafted an immersive and heartfelt narrative that immediately ensnared me on several levels, the most profound being the activation of so many fond memories of mine. The charming southern set pieces, authentic and outstanding characters, and engaging plot all come together in a flurry of nostalgic delight that not only transported me back to my childhood growing up in rural Georgia, but that also harkens back to similar titles that have permanently imprinted on my mind and heart, such as The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris and We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds. I’m incredibly proud of Desamours’ artistry, which is on full, unabashed display in this compelling and noteworthy young adult novel, and I’m already anxiously awaiting her next work of art. As the great Octavia Butler once said, ‘Write on!'”

Congratulations, Channelle! Needy Little Things is a true gem in the young adult genre–equal parts gripping and mesmerizing, as well as profound and meditative!👏

Connect with Channelle on Facebook Desamours - Author and Instagram 📲

Check out our Linktree for the full list of winners and finalists, as well as links to purchase this year's books from all of our exceptional Georgia authors! 📚🍑

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Thank you all for following along with our 2026 Georgia Author of the Year Award Winners and Finalists! It has been our pleasure and honor to feature these outstanding Georgia authors on this tremendous achievement! Be sure to stay tuned on our socials and website for information about our 2027 Georgia Author of the Year Awards! 👀

08/18/2026

🌟GAYA 2026 FINALIST SPOTLIGHT🌟

We’re excited to spotlight Nic Stone for Dear Manny, the finalist in the young adult category.

We’ll hand it over to judge Terry J. Benton Walker () for the good word on Stone’s book:

“Stone took a challenge with the unique perspective of Dear Manny, but I believe it was a risk that paid off. I’m a sucker for stories that dare to delve deep to explore the complexity of character—especially characters we feel we’re supposed to hate. Stone continues to build on her legacy of compelling stories that center concepts of justice and self-reflection, which ignite the exact social conversations we should be having cross-culturally and especially within our own communities.”

Congratulations, Nic Stone! Dear Manny is an enthralling, vigorous work that all Georgians, young and old, should read! 👏

Connect with Nic on Instagram 📲

Check out our Linktree for the full list of winners and finalists, as well as links to purchase this year's books from all of our exceptional Georgia authors! 📚🍑

08/14/2026

🌟GAYA 2026 WINNERS’ SPOTLIGHT🌟

Now spotlighting Ann Litrel and Charles Seabrook for 35 Natural Wonders of Georgia to See Before You Die, the winner in the specialty category.

We’ll hand it over to judge Albert Lee () for his praises on Ann and Charles’ book:

“Both newcomers and long-time residents alike will find much of interest in 35 Natural Wonders of Georgia to See Before You Die. This engaging personal journey, a collaboration between Woodstock-based artist Ann Litrel and long-time Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Charles Seabrook, takes us on a guided tour through the state’s forests and mountains, marshlands and badlands, coves, dunes, falls, swamps, and springs. Not only is the text filled with historical facts and other interesting information, it also contains insights about the land and its people while shedding light on the colorful personalities that have shaped Georgia’s richly varied landscape, development, and preservation efforts.”

Congratulations, Ann and Charles! 35 Natural Wonders of Georgia is an undeniably vibrant, inviting call to fully embrace and engage with Georgia’s lush, dynamic scenery! 👏

Connect with Ann on Facebook Wallace Litrel and Instagram , and with Charles on Facebook Seabrook and Instagram 📲

Check out our Linktree for the full list of winners and finalists, as well as links to purchase this year's books from all of our exceptional Georgia authors! 📚🍑

08/13/2026

🌟GAYA 2026 FINALIST SPOTLIGHT🌟

Continuing with our GAYA spotlights, we have Valerie J. Frey for Georgia’s Historical Recipes: Seeking Our State’s Oldest Written Foodways and the Stories Behind Them, the finalist in the specialty category.

Here’s judge Albert Lee () with his acclaim on Valerie’s book:

“In Georgia’s Historical Recipes, Valerie J. Frey applies the notion of foodways to an examination of local recipes found in cookbooks spanning more than two centuries from 1733--when Georgia was one of the 13 original British colonies--to World War Two. Drawing upon her extensive experience as an archivist at both the state and national levels, Frey takes us on a delightful journey that highlights a diverse range of culinary traditions as she tells a story about Georgia’s foodways that comprises multiple stories—English, indigenous, Gullah-Geechee, and more. The result is an impressive feat of research that provides both a deeply satisfying taste of regional history and a practical guide to cooking in the best of our state’s culinary traditions.”

Congratulations, Valerie! Georgia’s Historical Recipes is an enriching, insightful work on some of the most pivotal and noteworthy dishes connected with our home state!👏

Connect with Valerie on Facebook J. Frey and Instagram 📲

Check out our Linktree for the full list of winners and finalists, as well as links to purchase this year's books from all of our exceptional Georgia authors! 📚🍑

08/12/2026

🌟GAYA 2026 WINNER SPOTLIGHT🌟

Up next, we have Ann Michelle Harris for North, the winner in the science fiction/fantasy category.

Let’s hear from judge T.M. May () about Ann’s book:

“In North, Ann Michelle Harris fulfills an exceptional premise: crafting a version of a north (and south) in a rich but brutal fantasy backdrop distinct enough to slip our own geography from the readers’ mind, but with familiar tribulations, like the way a culture may neglect their vulnerable realities for the fiction of polite rules on paper. A tight plot builds to a watershed moment of individual closure and bureaucratic ramifications on a varied cast of complex secondary characters. Harris demonstrates undeniable skill in finding pacing and beats as the curator of all the tiny moving parts of a beautifully complex fairytale must do in a novel that is delightfully cathartic.”

Congratulations, Ann! North is a riveting, visionary journey from start to finish! 👏

Connect with Ann on Facebook Michelle Harris and Instagram 📲

Check out our Linktree for the full list of winners and finalists, as well as links to purchase this year's books from all of our exceptional Georgia authors! 📚🍑

08/11/2026

🌟GAYA 2026 FINALIST SPOTLIGHT🌟

Now spotlighting Sara Omer for The Gryphon King, the finalist in the science fiction/fantasy category.

Here’s judge T.M. May () with his praises of Sara’s book:

“Sara Omer has managed to create a world as full of depth and history and mystery as the real-world multicultural inspiration she drew from to write The Gryphon King. Omer moves through the life-breathed details of such strange experiences as a pegasus flight with journalistic viscerality as transportative as cinematic features…The injection of creatures of bestiaries somehow feels both invigorating and well-founded, reminding readers Omer’s delicate unraveling of the layers beneath can never be predicted.”

Congratulations, Sara! The Gryphon King’s breathtaking imagery and narrative are masterfully interwoven with true-to-life sensibilities!👏

Connect with Sara on Instagram 📲

Check out our Linktree for the full list of winners and finalists, as well as links to purchase this year's books from all of our exceptional Georgia authors! 📚🍑

08/07/2026

🌟GAYA 2026 WINNER SPOTLIGHT🌟

It’s our pleasure to spotlight Ashley Jordan for Once Upon a Time in Dollywood, the winner in the romance category.

We’ll hand it over to judge Lauren Connolly () for her acclaim on Ashley’s book:

“In Once Upon a Time in Dollywood Ashley Jordan crafts a gorgeous story of finding love while dealing with heartache…I was swept up in this romance, experiencing the highs and lows of a new, fragile relationship that left me with a euphoric sensation on the final page when our protagonists finally achieve a hard-earned happily ever after. Jordan’s writing is captivating and deserve the highest praise.”

Congratulations, Ashley! Once Upon a Time in Dollywood is an enchanting, passionate experience of trust, compassion, and resilience! 👏

Connect with Ashley on Instagram 📲

Check out our Linktree for the full list of winners and finalists, as well as links to purchase this year's books from all of our exceptional Georgia authors! 📚🍑

08/06/2026

🌟GAYA 2026 FINALIST SPOTLIGHT🌟

We’re excited to be spotlighting Julian Winters for I Think They Love You, the finalist in the romance category.

Here’s judge Lauren Connolly () with her praises on Julian’s book:

“In I Think They Love You Julian Winters treats readers to a behind the scenes look at high end event planning and all the messy drama that goes along with it. Winters writes a wonderful rom-com playing with the beloved fake-dating and second chance plots, and he provides readers with a charmingly flawed protagonist to cheer for…With a delightful balance of humor and authentically heartfelt moments, this romance elicits the pulse-racing, heart-pounding anticipation of reconnecting with a first love.”

Congratulations, Julian! I Think They Love You is undoubtedly warm and captivating! 👏

Connect with Julian on Instagram 📲

Check out our Linktree for the full list of winners and finalists, as well as links to purchase this year's books from all of our exceptional Georgia authors! 📚🍑

Address

440 Bartow Avenue #2701
Kennesaw, GA
30144

Telephone

+14705784736

Website

https://www.georgiawriters.org/, https://linktr.ee/gawriters, https://georgiawritersassociation.submittable.com/submit/9

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