Thank you to all our associates who entered the Round Up For Writers Contest! After reviewing the associates submissions, we were overwhelmed by the talent of the individuals that work in our store. This contest is the first of its kind at Books-A-Million, and we're looking forward to making it an annual celebration of our associates.
Thanks to your support, we have raised over $100k for the largest nonprofit literary organization, Poets & Writers. On behalf of Terry Finley, Books-A-Million CEO, and our selection committee led by Margaret Terwey, our Fiction Expert, we are proud to announce the four winners, in no particular order: Jo Papillo, Danni Beall, Emily Suh, and Brianna Bramlett.
Read their submissions and get to know them below:
Meet Jo Papillo with "The Warsaw Ghetto Boy"
Hi! I'm Jo, Capricorn, lover of words, and champion conflict avoider. I've been writing for as long as I can remember (my first word was "pen") and I am privileged to work for Books-A-Million. I mean, who couldn't find happiness in a workplace that sells Edgar Allan Poe Bobbleheads? I am currently a PhD Candidate in Business Psychology with a concentration in Behavioral Economics. I live in West Virginia with my leading man, James, and my two amazing kiddos, Marian and Will. We have two kitties and two pups who rule the house. We're just luck they let us live here.
Here is an excerpt from "The Warsaw Ghetto Boy":
"At least Maya Angelou gets me, I think. She's been in a cage too."
Wanting more? Check out the full version of "The Warsaw Ghetto Boy" here: https://promo.bookamillion.com/TheWarsawGhettoBoy.pdf
Meet Danni Beall with "In The Pages"
Hi! My name is Danni, short for Danielle. I am from Southeast Texas, born and raised. During the day I teach middle schoolers how to process big emotions on stage through public school theatre and at night I come to the bookstore, my happy place. It is just me and my Luna, a small chihuahua that loves me unconditionally and every once in a while I take in a student or former student who needs a safe place as they find their footing in the life they have been dealt. Books and coffee are my favorites, and I will randomly burst in musicals just because I can.
Here is an excerpt from "In the Pages":
"But in the pages...I find refuge from danger.
In the pages...I am saved.
In the pages...the world is gone."
Wanting more? Check out the full version of "In The Pages" here: https://promo.booksamillion.com/InThePages.pdf
Meet Emily Suh with "Untitled"
I am a third-year English major at the University of Mississippi. After graduating, I aspire to go into editing and publishing. I am active in my university life as a peer reviewer for the university's undergraduate research journal Venture and am in the English honor society, Sigma Tau Delta. I am currently working on a thesis paper on Jane Austen and the portrayal of feminism in Austen adaptations.
Here is an excerpt from "Untitled":
"I started to work at Books-A-Million because it was a safe haven for me as a child, and it brought me closer to books."
Wanting more? Check out the full version of "Untitled" here: https://promo.booksamillion.com/Untitled.pdf
Meet Brianna Bramlett with "Telling the Wind and Fire"
My name is Brianna Bramlett and I'm a college student and writer from Alabaster, Alabama. Words have always been my entire world, both in reading and writing. It is my dream to bring more beautiful words to life through my writing and a career in book publishing!
Here is an excerpt from "Telling the Wind and Fire":
"I had always been a reader and a writer. One fell into the other like coins into a fountain and I couldn't wait for the day when I could cash in on it and build the future that I dreamed of."
Wanting more? Check out the full version of "Telling the Wind and Fire" here: https://promo.booksamillion.com/TellingtheWindandFire.pdf
