Gaines Award goes to new author Harris

NEW ORLEANS — The debut work of Seattle author Nathan Harris has earned him the 2021 Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence.

Harris’ “The Sweetness of Water” chronicles the unlikely bond forged between two freed men and a Georgia farmer set as the Civil War nears its end. The three form an alliance that ultimately alters each of their lives.

Harris said he’s always been fascinated with historical fiction surrounding the Civil War, including books like “Cold Mountain” and “Gone With the Wind.”

“I had never read a story, personally, that was set immediately after slaves were freed,” Harris said. “So I started to read some oral histories that discussed that time when the gate was opened and people had to decide whether to stay or go. I couldn’t imagine what that would be like, so I put that to paper and began to explore.”

The Baton Rouge Area Foundation presents the award, in its 15th year, annually to an emerging African American fiction writer to honor Gaines, whose stories gave voice to African Americans in rural areas. The winner receives $15,000. The foundation will present the award Tuesday evening in a virtual ceremony that will be available online.

Originally from Ashland, Ore., Harris, 29, graduated in 2020 with a fine arts master’s degree from the Michener Center at the University of Texas. He has won the University of Oregon’s Kidd Prize and was a finalist for the Tennessee Williams Fiction Prize.