HOLLAND -- A recently-published book by Dr.
Heather Sellers of the Hope College English faculty is being
recognized in the "Discover Great New Writers" program of
Barnes & Noble bookstores.

Sellers is an associate professor of English at
Hope. Her book, "Georgia Under Water," was released in March
by Sarabande Books, and is anticipated to appear in Barnes &
Noble's forthcoming listing for the summer quarter.

A reception and book signing to celebrate
publication of the book will be held in the Kletz in the
DeWitt Center on Wednesday, April 25, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30
p.m. The public is invited, and admission is free.

"Georgia Under Water" is a collection of nine
linked stories about the struggles and triumphs of Georgia
Jackson as she grows up in Florida, always near the ocean or
a pool, living in a dysfunctional family, torn between
pleasing her parents and saving herself.

"Georgia Jackson is a heroine buoyant in spirit
and bitterly cheery in a way that is thrilling," story
writer Padgett Powell has said. Author Kim Barnes has
called Georgia "a modern-day Huck Finn, traveling the
ocean's shore, learning the hard lessons that will both scar
her and allow her to survive."

Barnes and Noble's "Discover Great New Writers"
program selects approximately 20 books by new writers each
quarter and features them through on-line and in-store
publicity. Because of the attention the book is expected to
receive through this selection, it has already gone into a
second printing.

"Georgia Under Water" was also receiving
recognition before it was published. In 1999, Sellers
received a fellowship from the National Endowment for the
Arts (NEA) to support her as she completed work on the book.
Her NEA award was one of only 41 granted that year to
writers creating original work or translating work. She was
the only Michigan recipient.

Sellers, who has been a member of the Hope faculty
since 1995, has also been the recipient of many other awards
and writing residencies. Her work has appeared in "Indiana
Review," "New Virginia Review," "The Hawai'i Review," "The
Chattahoochee Review," "The Women's Review of Books,"
"Sonora Review," and many other journals.

Her children's book "Spike and Cubby's Ice Cream
Island Adventure" will be published later this year by Henry
Holt. She is currently working on a novel, "Frontierland."

Sellers earned her bachelor's, master's and
doctorate at Florida State University, in 1985, 1988 and
1992 respectively.

-30-