Author of We Cast a Shadow Maurice Carlos Ruffin joins Virtual AWP this summer, interviewed by Regina Brooks, AWP Board Member and CEO of Serendipity Literary Agency. We Cast a Shadow, published by One World Random House, named a Best Book of the Year by NPR and a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award, has been described as “an incisive and necessary debut…a chilling, unforgettable cautionary tale and one we should all read and heed,” by Roxane Gay.  The interview delves into themes of race, white supremacy, and social injustice as Maurice shares the influences behind his writing. Join us on Thursday, August 27, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. ET for the premiere of this important conversation, featuring Maurice Carlos Ruffin & Regina Brooks and to participate in the live Q&A on YouTube. Register for this event for free and receive a reminder email and additional updates on upcoming Conversations with Writers.

To purchase a copy of We Cast a Shadow before the event, visit the AWP/Bookshop affiliate page.

Maurice Carlos Ruffin is the author of We Cast a Shadow, which was published by One World Random House. The novel was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award and the New York Times Editors’ Choice. Ruffin is the winner of several literary prizes, including the Iowa Review Award in fiction and the Award for Novel-in-Progress from the William Faulkner–William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition. A New Orleans native, Ruffin is a professor of creative writing at Louisiana State University and is the 2020-2021 John and Renee Grisham Writer-in-Residence at Ole Miss.

Regina Brooks is the CEO of Serendipity Literary Agency and the author of Writing Great Books for Young Adults 2e and You Should Really Write A Book: How to Write, Sell, and Market Your Memoir. Brooks is the agent behind many notable authors and illustrators whose accolades include the National Book Award, Newbery, Caldecott, Michael Printz, and Pen Writers honors. She has also represented winners of the NAACP Image Award, Edgar Award, Kirkus Prize, and a host of others.  She serves on the board of the Association of Author Representatives and the Association of Writers & Writing Programs and is a member of the National Book Foundation’s Book Council. She can be found online at serendipitylit.com or through her social media series #booksbythenumbers @serendipitylit.