10 fiction writers compete for prize

Finalists for Georgia literary award ‘particularly strong.’

The only thing predictable about Georgia’s oldest and most prestigious literary award is its unpredictability.

Every two years, the state’s literati and publishing elite gather to see who will take home the Townsend Prize for Fiction, launched in 1981 as a memorial for Jim Townsend, Atlanta magazine’s founding editor. Anthony Winkler’s win in 2014 came as a surprise to some observers, with audible gasps in the crowd at the award ceremony. In 2016, Mary Hood became the first woman to claim the prize twice. Winners receive a silver tray and $2,000.

Each award cycle presents unique challenges, says Anna Schachner, editor of The Chattahoochee Review. “It’s always an eclectic list, but this year was particularly strong,” she says.

The literary journal of Georgia State University’s Perimeter College oversees the award, along with the Georgia Center for the Book. A seven-member reading committee includes representatives from both organizations and the Atlanta Writers Club.

Who will win? Schachner demurs, saying even she isn’t sure.

Five of this year’s 10 finalists are debut novels. Much of the list qualifies as historical fiction, though the titles cover a range of styles, from mysteries (“Lightning Men”) and coming-of-age narratives (“The Guineveres,” “Shadow of the Lions”) to Southern fiction (“Over the Plain Houses,” “Among the Living”).

“We’re seeing more books that are hybrids of commercial and literary fiction,” Schachner says of this year’s nominees, which reflects the publishing industry at large. “It makes for a different kind of book – not better or worse — but it’s something to think about when you’re working with a prize that recognizes literary excellence.”