COLUMBIA -- The South Carolina Arts Commission is seeking submissions for its biennial S.C. First Novel Prize competition.

Application deadline is Jan. 5, 2010, and the winner will be announced in May.

Bret Lott, author of 12 books, will judge the competition. Lott is a former editor of the "Southern Review" and teaches creative writing at the College of Charleston.

The Arts Commission is again partnering with the Hub City Writers Project, a Spartanburg-based award-winning independent press, the South Carolina State Library and the Humanities Council S.C. for the competition.

The winning author will receive a $1,000 advance against royalties and a book contract with the Hub City Writers Project, which will publish at least 1,500 hardback copies of the book. An additional copy of the book will be provided for every public library branch in the state.

Brian Ray of Columbia was the winner of the inaugural novel competition. His book, "Through the Pale Door," was published by Hub City in June 2009 and has been widely and favorably reviewed across the Southeast, including most recently in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Booklist gave it a starred review and called Ray "a talent to watch." The novel is being nationally distributed by John F. Blair Co. of Winston-Salem, N.C.

The project is funded in part by Library Services and Technology Act Partnership grants administered by the S.C. State Library and the Institute of Museums and Library Services.

For more information and application guidelines, call 803-734-8696.

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