A celebration of Southern stories: 2025 Crook’s Corner Book Prize

This Tuesday at The Crunkleton in Chapel Hill, the 2025 Crook’s Corner Book Prize announcement party took place. 

Hosted by the Crook’s Corner Book Prize Foundation, the event was held to announce the winner for best debut novel set in the American South. The prize was created to encourage writers, whether they are published by traditional publishers, self-published or produced in alternative ways. This event is inspired by literature of the region and the well-known literary cafés of Paris. 

Selected by this year’s judge, award-winning author Megan Mayhew Bergman, The Crook’s Corner Book Prize winner was Thao Thai for her novel "Banyan Moon."Thai will receive $5,000 as a result. Her book explores a story of mothers and daughters, spanning decades and continents, as they navigate grief, inheritance and long-buried family secrets in the wake of the death of a grandmother.

This event hosted around 50 people, with a speech and book announcement by Anna Hayes and refreshments for the attendees.

Hayes, the president of the Crook's Corner Book Prize Foundation, said her inspiration for the creation of the annual event began during her time in Paris. 

“I spent part of the year in Paris and have done [so] for 20 some years. And I was fascinated and just amazed by the fact that so many of the famous Parisian literary cafes give book prizes,” Hayes said.

The event began 12 years ago in Crook’s Corner, which was an iconic restaurant for 40 years in Chapel Hill, described as a “culinary, literary and artistic beacon.” After its closing in 2021, the tradition continued in The Crunkleton.  

Hayes said that the intention of the event is to highlight a debut novel and give a new writer a boost as it can be very challenging to get attention as a new author. 

“We have about 60 'first readers', and every book is read by at least two readers, and they give a reading and limited evaluation and so on,” Hayes said when describing the book selection process. “That enables us to cut down the list and then the board goes through a shortlist and a long list.” 

Jamie Fiocco, owner and founder of the bookstore Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, said that she has attended the book prize announcement almost every year that it has been in existence. Fiocco said Flyleaf is currently selling the book that won the event. 

“We love the idea of it and the vision is that of the great cafes of Europe, to have a book prize. It is a very literary pursuit," Fiocco said. "And we were friends of the folks at Crook's and also the folks who are part of this prize. So, it was very natural that we got involved."

As there are a wide amount of books available and the process of publishing a book is difficult, Fiocco finds it important to uplift up-and-coming authors. She said that the cash prize aids in this regard because it helps writers earn a living. 

Judy White, who is a "first reader" for the Foundation, said that her involvement began four years ago. As a "first reader," White said she determines some characteristics of the books such as their level of clarity and Southern aspects, providing her perspective on the novel overall to the board. 

As someone who is retired, White enjoys feeling like she is doing something with purpose through her role in the Foundation. 

“I felt like I was helping in a group. I feel like I'm a part of a group and I feel like I'm doing something meaningful,” White said. 

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