“Chasing the North Star,” the new novel by Robert Morgan, Kappa Alpha Professor of English, was recently chosen by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA), for the Southern Book Award in the category of historical fiction.
SIBA represents bookstores and sellers in the south and gives awards to southern authors or to books written with a southern viewpoint voted on by booksellers.
In his book, Morgan tells the story of a slave, Jonah Williams, who escapes a South Carolina plantation when he turns 18 in 1850. He runs north, with no clear guide except the Northern Star, and hardly any belongings. Hiding during the day and running throughout the night, Jonah meets another slave, Angel. Angel decides to follow in his footsteps, deciding to go to the North in pursuit of freedom. The novel tells of their close encounters with danger, and is rooted deeply in history.
Morgan received a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and a master’s from UNC Greensboro. He has written 14 books of poetry and published nine volumes of fiction including the New York Times bestseller, “Gap Creek.” He teaches American literature, modern poetry, autobiography and poetry and fiction writing courses.
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