The SCCC Creative Writing Festival Committee is proud to announce two new initiatives: the First Book Visiting Writer Award and the Lawrence J. Epstein Visiting Writer Award, intended to bring new and emerging authors from beyond Long Island to the attention of the SCCC and Suffolk County communities.

The winners of the awards will participate in the upcoming SCCC Creative Writing Festival as Featured Readers, where they will give a 25 minute reading, participate in a Q & A with festival attendees, and take part in an author book-signing. They will also receive a $1000 honorarium to offset travel expenses, and have an excerpt of their work made into a limited edition broadside produced by students of Suffolk County Community College. Additionally, their books will be used as classroom texts in one or more creative writing courses at SCCC in future semesters.

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