SBR

I was visiting a bookstore when I dreamed up the opening lines to The Great Wherever. I'd been noodling over a novel for years by then, and suddenly―as if a key had turned in a lock―one began writing itself on the journal in my mind...a sudden revelation: A ghost should tell this story. Continue Reading

Sometimes a story blows through your heart like a strong wind. That’s how it felt writing Habits of the Sea. It haunted my sleep and prodded at me when I was awake. I had no other choice but to write it. It’s not my story. It belongs to someone else. Continue Reading

I had all of these feelings in 2018, 2020, that I was trying to find an outlet for. So I started creating this character in snatches of daily life. What would it be like for this character to go shopping, or try to buy a gun in Chinatown? Continue Reading

I've always really been fascinated in maps and the idea of mapping and the impulse to map. I think it is a real human instinct to do it. It actually - as humans, it predates our ability to write. Continue Reading

I think that we certainly talk about pregnancy and motherhood and reproductive freedoms. These are conversations that we are having, but within pretty narrow parameters. And what I liked about this idea was the opportunity to talk about some of those issues from a different lens than usual. Continue Reading

One of the things that really interested me was the parents investigating their son’s death. They’re incredibly invested, but they also get pulled into this underworld in London inside the city they hadn’t known. Continue Reading

I liked the idea of Sen’s family desperately clinging to the past glory of the samurai, because desperate characters do irrational things. Continue Reading

I'd originally wanted to write an unrequited love story. As I was writing the first few scenes, I was like, “Oh, these people actually both love each other, so that's not working. Continue Reading

Forthcoming books for young readers that SIBA booksellers are buzzing about! RTNext! Kids Bookseller ResourcesEdelweiss Collection | Flyer | Flyer Graphic (image) Read why Southern indie booksellers love these books: The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan by Jasmine Warga A delightful tale of... Continue Reading

Based on our booksellers' conviction that you can never have too many good books, Read This Next! is a list of books coming out next month that booksellers are especially excited about. Continue Reading

The Southern Book Prize is pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 Prize, honoring great Southern literature as chosen by Southern independent booksellers and readers who love Southern stories. Continue Reading

What indie booksellers are reading and recommending this month! Continue Reading