Kiese Laymon is the Fiction Winner of the 2014 William Saroyan International Prize for Writing, for his 2013 novel LONG DIVISION. The award is given jointly by The Stanford University Libraries and the William Saroyan Foundation. Laymon’s novel and memoir are forthcoming from Bloomsbury.

Rene Steinke’s FRIENDSWOOD was reviewed on NY1 by Patrik Henry Bass of Essence Magazine, who said, “[A] spectacular new novel by Rene Steinke … unforgettable … Like a painter, Steinke draws stunning scenes of small town Texas life … Friendswood is ultimately a story about hope and American character from a novelist who has delivered one of the best books of the summer.” Riverhead publishes the book on August 14, 2014.