The challenges of civil rights continue to top the interests of book lovers, especially here in the Deep South. And when murder is in the mix, it becomes even more captivating.
Wanda Morris, the Georgia Writers Association’s 2023 Author of the Year, will be Georgia Writers Museum’s “Meet the Author” presenter on Aug. 1, at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.), when she will discuss her newest book, Anywhere You Run.
GWM recently conducted a brief interview with Morris.
GWM: Your professional training came as a lawyer, so how does that background affect your writing?
Morris: Working as a lawyer has influenced my work in several ways. In all my books, so far, I try to explore the ways the legal system can impact our everyday lives – both good and bad – whether it’s examining a corporate organization fraught with discriminatory practices, to the inequity of the American justice system, to a societal structure that prevents full-and-fair access to the voting polls.
I believe most lawyers are storytellers in some way. Whether trying to persuade a jury in a lawsuit or advising a group of business leaders, a lawyer is telling a story of sorts. Similarly, I believe when an author is writing a novel, she or he is trying to persuade the reader’s emotions about the story. Every writer wants a reader to feel a certain way about the story they are telling.
GWM: What do you like most about being a published, award-winning author?
Morris: The opportunity to meet other people, whether readers or other writers, who enjoy what I enjoy – great stories!
GWM: What is the most difficult part of the writing process for you?
Morris: Taming my inner critic. I write stories that interest me, but, it’s so easy for me to slip into thinking those stories will not appeal to other people. Thankfully, I’ve been wrong.
GWM: Can you give us a sneak preview of your next book?
Morris: My next book is entitled, What You Leave Behind. It’s the story of a young woman who returns home to low-country Georgia after a tremendous loss.
When she stumbles onto the land of a mysterious stranger who later goes missing, she begins to unravel a dangerous scheme where poor and disenfranchised people are losing their property and their opportunity for generational wealth. It deals with themes of grief, heirs’ property, and what it means to have a home and leave a legacy behind for your family.
Tickets to see Wanda Morris speak at GWM (109 S. Jefferson Ave. Eatonton) are $45 each ($40 for two or more), or a table for six can be reserved for $200 (a savings of $40).
Contact Georgia Writers Museum at 706-991-5119 or visit online at georgiawritersmuseum.org for reservations and to pre-order Morris’ new book.