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Atlanta, GA — June 10, 2026 — South Arts is excited to announce the 2026 recipients of its Literary Arts Grants, supporting 16 writers and 12 independent publishers and small presses across the Southeastern region with project-based grants of up to $5,000.
Since 1976, South Arts has championed the talents of Southern artists across various disciplines, working to advance the vitality of the region through arts and culture. Building on that mission, the regional arts organization launched its Literary Arts Initiative in 2024, expanding vital support to writers and literary organizations across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. As part of this initiative, South Arts introduced the Literary Arts Grants to support the creation and publishing of creative work, community engagement, and professional development, with particular emphasis on both individual writers and small, independent presses that shape the cultural and historical fabric of the South.
“Southern writers and literary organizations help tell the stories that shape this region, and that work matters now more than ever. At a time when support systems for literary artists are under strain, South Arts is proud to support writers exploring the many voices, histories, and experiences that define the South. These 28 recipients reflect the richness and range of Southern literature today and our commitment to helping those stories reach communities across the region and beyond.” said Doug Shipman, South Arts President & CEO.
Among this year’s cohort, writers span poetry, memoir, fiction, creative nonfiction, and hybrid forms. Many of the recipients have focused their work in place and community, from a study of the French Broad River watershed in Appalachia to an exploration of Black Southern memory and a novel expanding on the life of an early 20th century fortune teller in Georgia.
Similarly, the 12 organizations being supported reflect the cross-section of the literary arts. Publishers and presses are being supported in bringing new voices to print, including an illustrated Southern gothic novella, a quarterly arts journal rooted in Miami’s creative community, and a student literary magazine.
Many of the projects selected and supported through this initiative are also centered in public engagement and access, bringing literature directly into communities through school poetry residencies, workshops, playwright labs, fairs and festivals, to ensure that the literary arts remains a resource for everyone.
Together, this year’s cohort and their projects reflect a commitment to a Southern literary landscape that is expansive, community-rooted, and firmly grounded in the voices and stories that make the region so vital.
The 2026 Literary Arts Grant Recipients
Literary Writers
- River Coello | Winter Park, FL
- Anna Robertson Sautee | Nacoochee, GA
- Ashlee Haze | Atlanta, GA
- Doug Crandell | Douglasville, GA
- Kelundra Smith | Avondale Estates, GA
- Abigail Ruppert | Owensboro, KY
- Sean Patrick | Hill Louisville, KY
- Andre Sansbury | Fayetteville, NC
- Annette Clapsaddle | Whittier, NC
- Christopher "Dasan Ahanu" Massenburg | Raleigh, NC
- Donovan Hampton | Charlotte, NC
- G Wesley | Asheville, NC
- Angelo Geter | Rock Hill, SC
- Marlanda Dekine | Georgetown, SC
- Lane Scott Jones | Nashville, TN
- Martha Park | Memphis, TN
Literary Organizations
- The Carrier Pigeon Post | Jacksonville, FL
- Tropic Bound, Inc. | Miami, FL
- EXILE Projects | Miami, FL
- Writer's Guild Booster Association | Jacksonville, FL
- New City Players Inc. | Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Lostintheletters, Inc. | Atlanta, GA
- Appalachia Book Company | Lowmansville, KY
- Friends of Thacker Mountain Radio Inc. | Oxford, MS
- Lancaster County Council of the Arts | Lancaster, SC
- The Watering Hole Poetry Organization | Greenville, SC
- Voices of the South | Memphis, TN
- The Porch Writers Collective | Nashville, TN
South Arts’ Literary Arts Initiatives are made possible with support from the Amazon Literary Partnership and other generous donors. For more information on Literary Arts Grants and upcoming opportunities from South Arts, please visit southarts.org.
About The Wallace Foundation
The Wallace Foundation is an independent, nonpartisan research foundation, with a mission to help all communities build a more vibrant and just future by fostering advances in the arts, education leadership, and youth development. We collaborate with grantees and research partners to design and test innovative approaches to address pressing problems in the fields we serve. The evidence-based insights we share—searchable online and free of charge—support policymakers and practitioners in their efforts to improve outcomes, enhance community vitality, and help all people reach their full potential.
Press Inquiries
Hilena Haileselassie
Marketing & Communications Manager, South Arts
HHaileselassie@southarts.org
Rachel Roberts
Senior Account Executive, Cultural Counsel
rachel@culturalcounsel.com
Colleen Rodgers
Account Coordinator, Cultural Counsel
colleen@culturalcounsel.com