the miniaturist’s assistant wins north carolina book award
Friends, I’m thrilled to announce that The Miniaturist’s Assistant has been awarded the 2025 Sir Walter Raleigh Award, North Carolina’s highest honor for fiction. I join past winners like Charles Frazier, Doris Betts, Lee Smith, Reynolds Price, Allan Gurganus, Clyde Edgerton, Jason Mott, David Joy, and more.
Yesterday I sat in my childhood bedroom in Greenville, South Carolina with a photo taken of me with my grandmother, when I was 16 years-old. I knew then, without a shadow of doubt, that I wanted to write books. But I don’t think I could’ve imagined anything like this.
History is a through-line to everything for me. Carolina is so deep in my DNA that to simply call it “home” feels inadequate. I am deeply humbled, honored, and so very grateful to everyone at at the North Carolina Department for Natural and Cultural Resources for the vital work they do to uplift the arts and writers in NC.
The awards ceremony will be held in Raleigh, NC on Dec. 5th, 2025 at 1:00 PM. It’s open to the public. More info at:
https://www.dncr.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2025/11/05/2025-north-carolina-book-award-recipients-announced
Holy heck, y’all.
