Five emerging Philly writers worth watching
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
Twelve years ago, I moved back to Philly after spending nearly two decades in the book-publishing industry in Manhattan. I brought with me my young family and my belief that important literary events took place mostly in New York.
Sure, I knew that Philly had some top-of-the-charts stars such as Jennifer Weiner and Lisa Scottoline, but I soon learned that we also have a deep bench of talented writers — across the genres — who live here because they want to be here, and who derive inspiration and support from our city and from each other.
Liz Moore, author of the novel Heft, speaks enthusiastically of the collaborative spirit that exists in Philly among writers and artists, and Hidden City’s Nathaniel Popkin, who has just published his first novel, Lion & Leopard, with a local press, says: “To be a writer in Philly means … being able to access an extraordinarily wide range of fellow writers — at your fingertips — from poets to journalists to critics and novelists.”
Here’s a brief look at five emerging writers whose talents I think are likely to shine even brighter in the years to come. They and the many other scriveners toiling here make Philadelphia a town where you are sure to get your words’ worth.
