If you follow Kwame Alexander on Instagram, or have gone to The Book Doctors for advice, you may have heard of this exciting new reality show about finding America’s next great author.
In the same vein as American Idol and America’s Next Top Model, America’s Next Great Author gathers aspiring authors from around the country and allows a number of them to share their genius with the world. As the show begins, participants will give a one-minute pitch for their book idea to a panel of publishing professionals. From these participants, eight finalists will be chosen to live and write in the House of Dreams for one month. There, contestants participate in exciting challenges and spectacular storytelling.
But…America’s Next Great Author has a twist. As long as each of the contestants completes their goal, no one will be eliminated. The finale will reveal who has persevered, and who will get their professionally edited and published book presented to the world.
The show’s mission statement is “America’s Next Great Author is dedicated to including writers who aren’t normally given a seat at the table in mainstream publishing. The series will feature writers from communities and cultures all across America who bring their unique voices to readers and the world of literature.”
Award-winning and #1 New York Times-bestselling author Kwame Alexander will host this groundbreaking show. Alexander is a poet, educator, publisher, and #1 New York Times-bestselling author of 36 books, including Booked and The Crossover. He’s received the Newbery Medal, The Coretta Scott King Author Honor, three NAACP Image Award nominations, and been longlisted for the National Book Award.
The judges for the show are:
Jason Reynolds is the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of more than a dozen books for young people, including Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks; All American Boys; Long Way Down; Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You; and Stuntboy, in the Meantime. The recipient of a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor, an NAACP Image Award, and multiple Coretta Scott King honors, Reynolds is also the current National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.
Victoria Christopher Murray is a native of Queens. She earned a B.A. in Communication Disorders from Hampton University and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business. Murray spent 10 years in corporate America before launching her entrepreneurial venture, a Financial Services Agency for Aegon, USA, where she managed the #1 division for nine consecutive years. She has penned more than 30 novels, co-writing with other authors, and ghostwriting for top talent across the country.
Marga Gomez is the writer/performer of 14 solo plays which have been presented both nationally and internationally. She is the recipient of a 2022 USA Fellowship, a 2021 Center For Cultural Innovation grant, and a GLAAD Media Award. Her acting credits include theatre roles (American Conservatory Theater’s “Fefu And Her Friends” and Campo Santo’s production of “Translating Selena” by Richard Montoya), television (Sense8), and film (Sphere). She was named by NBC as one of 11 “Out Latinos you should know.”
IngramSpark is a sponsor for the endeavor, and we’re excited to see it come to fruition. Visit AmericasNextGreatAuthor.com to learn more about the show and sign up to hear all of the latest news and developments.
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