Local Authors

Local Author Directory

Explore 378 writers connected to Orange County · 902 of their titles in the library catalog

From the Library Shelf

One title per writer, their most requested book in the OCPL catalog. The covers follow the search and filters above, and each links to its catalog record.

Browse everything they've written at the library: Adair–Connor → · Council–Gurganus → · Gwin–McLaurin → · Mello–Stewart → · Street–Zug →

No authors match. Try a different search or filter, or tell us who's missing →

• A
• Milton A. Abernethy With Anthony Buttitta, edited the little magazine Contempo from Chapel Hill from 1931 to 1934, publishing Faulkner and Langston Hughes, and founded the Intimate Bookshop. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Suzanne Adair Mystery writer whose Michael Stoddard series follows a young British officer through Revolutionary-era North Carolina; her Paper Woman won the Patrick D. Smith Literature Award. 19 titles in the catalog → · Author's website → · Our interview →
• Agatha Boyd Adams 1892–1950 UNC librarian and biographer of Paul Green of Chapel Hill; her daughter Alice Adams appears in this directory in her own right. 1 title in the catalog →
• Alice Adams 1926–1999 Grew up in Chapel Hill and returned to it in fiction; a multiple O. Henry Award winner whose novels include A Southern Exposure. 2 titles in the catalog →
• Ellery Adams Pen name of Jennifer Stanley, New York Times bestselling author of the Secret, Book & Scone Society and Books by the Bay mysteries, written from her home in Chapel Hill. 15 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Dasan Ahanu Spoken word artist, 2023 Piedmont Laureate, and visiting professor at UNC. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Kelly Alexander Food writer and author of Hometown Appetites, the life of food journalist Clementine Paddleford. 1 title in the catalog → · Read free on NC LIVE →
• Joyce Allen Children's fantasy author of the Threads Trilogy; read at the Friends' 2015 fall book sale. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · In our newsletter →
• Harry Amana UNC journalism professor and historian of the Black press; a contributor to 27 Views of Chapel Hill. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Jean Anderson 1929–2023 Chapel Hill cookbook author and food historian whose books include The American Century Cookbook, A Love Affair with Southern Cooking, and Kiln to Kitchen; a member of the James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame. 7 titles in the catalog → · 2 titles free on NC LIVE →
• Camille Andros Picture book author of Charlotte the Scientist Is Squished. 4 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Anne Anthony Short story writer whose The Collection: Flash Fiction for Flash Memory was written for readers experiencing memory changes; read at the 2018 Hillsborough Local Author Book Fair. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Allen Appel Novelist of the Alex Balfour time-travel series that began with Time After Time (1985) and a longtime reviewer of thrillers; with Sherry Conway Appel he wrote a shelf of gift books for parents and children. 1 title in the catalog →
• Sherry Conway Appel Playwright and communications strategist who, with her husband Allen Appel, wrote the gift books From Mother to Daughter, Thanks, Mom and Wisdom from the Kitchen (St. Martin's). Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Linda Ashman Chapel Hill author of more than fifty picture books, including Rain! and Over the River and Through the Wood; she also wrote The Nuts and Bolts Guide to Writing Picture Books. 28 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Daphne Athas 1923–2020 Longtime UNC teacher whose Entering Ephesus and Chapel Hill in Plain Sight made the town her lifelong subject. 1 title in the catalog →
• Tamara Aycock Her memoir The Power of Walking in Forgiveness tells her own story of surviving abuse and homelessness with her faith intact. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Our interview →
• B
• Ellyn Bache Novelist on the Literary Map's county roster whose Safe Passage became a feature film. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Pam Baggett Poet whose chapbook Wild Horses follows a friendship from 1970s rock and roll to a bedside farewell. 1 title in the catalog → · Our interview →
• Rosecrans Baldwin Novelist and essayist who wrote from Chapel Hill for years; his books include The Last Kid Left and Paris, I Love You but You're Bringing Me Down. 1 title in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Russell Banks 1940–2023 Novelist of Continental Drift, Affliction, and The Sweet Hereafter; he took his degree at UNC. 6 titles in the catalog →
• Ben Barker With Karen Barker, chef-author of Not Afraid of Flavor from their landmark Magnolia Grill. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Karen Barker James Beard Award-winning pastry chef and co-author of Not Afraid of Flavor and Sweet Stuff. 1 title in the catalog →
• Anne Clinard Barnhill Historical novelist welcomed among the library's local authors in December 2013. 2 titles in the catalog → · In our newsletter →
• Natania Barron Fantasy novelist who led creative writing seminars and author visits at the library in 2012 and 2013. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website → · In our newsletter →
• Kemp Plummer Battle 1831–1919 UNC president and an important early historian of the university; his two-volume History of the University of North Carolina chronicles the campus he led. 1 title in the catalog →
• Jeffery Beam Poet whose work weaves the natural world, the body, and the spirit; longtime botanical librarian at UNC. A member of the Friends of the Library. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Aaron Belz Hillsborough poet laureate from 2014 to 2016; his collections include Lovely, Raspberry and Glitter Bomb. 1 title in the catalog → · Author's website →
• John Claude Bemis Award-winning author of middle-grade novels, the 2013 Piedmont Laureate for children's literature, and a regular teacher of the library's young-writer workshops. 13 titles in the catalog → · Author's website → · Library event, Jul 11, 2024 →
• Amanda Bennett Poet of Working the Roots and Carrboro's ninth poet laureate, the first Black woman in the role. 1 title in the catalog →
• Barry Bergey Led Folk & Traditional Arts at the National Endowment for the Arts for three decades; co-author of Folk Masters: A Portrait of America. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Jack Edward Bernhardt Anthropologist and journalist who covered bluegrass, gospel, and country music for the News & Observer for more than thirty years. 1 title in the catalog →
• Doris Betts 1932–2012 Taught creative writing at UNC for more than thirty years and mentored a generation of North Carolina writers; her Beasts of the Southern Wild was a National Book Award finalist. Inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame in 2004. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Brian Biswas Chapel Hill writer of literary and speculative short fiction; author of A Betrayal and Other Stories. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Ruth Blackwelder Her The Age of Orange traced the county's political and intellectual leadership from 1752 to 1861. 1 title in the catalog →
• Will Blythe Grew up in Chapel Hill; his To Hate Like This Is to Be Happy Forever chronicles Carolina basketball, family loyalty, and the Duke rivalry. 2 titles in the catalog →
• Melissa Bourbon Bestselling mystery writer under her own name and two pen names, Winnie Archer for the Bread Shop Mysteries and Ivy Cassidy; she serves on the Friends board. 18 titles in the catalog → · Author's website → · Our interview →
• Krista Bremer Memoirist of My Accidental Jihad; longtime associate publisher of The Sun magazine. 2 titles in the catalog → · 2 titles free on NC LIVE →
• Sue Ellen Bridgers North Carolina young adult novelist on the Literary Map's county roster; her All Together Now and Notes for Another Life were National Book Award finalists. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Bruce Brooks Young adult novelist and UNC graduate whose The Moves Make the Man and What Hearts each earned a Newbery Honor. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• David Brown A contributor to 27 Views of Chapel Hill. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Nic Brown Novelist of Doubles, set in this county, and In Every Way; a contributor to 27 Views of Chapel Hill. 1 title in the catalog → · Author's website →
• W. Fitzhugh Brundage UNC historian whose books examine race, violence, and public memory in the South, including Lynching in the New South and The Southern Past. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Frank Bruni New York Times columnist turned Duke professor who lives in Chapel Hill; his bestselling books include Born Round and The Age of Grievance. 6 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Jay Bryan Carrboro poet laureate from 2010 to 2013. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Samantha Bryant Writes the Menopausal Superheroes series, beginning with Going Through the Change. A member of the Friends of the Library. 1 title in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Libby Buck Art historian with a UNC doctorate who taught at Duke and Carolina before turning to fiction. 1 title in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Carla Buckley Chapel Hill suspense novelist whose books include The Things That Keep Us Here, The Deepest Secret, and The Good Goodbye. 3 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Emily Buehler Author whose work spans bread science, a cross-country bike trip, and romance. A member of the Friends of the Library. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website → · Our interview →
• Anthony Burgess 1917–1993 The A Clockwork Orange novelist spent 1969 as a writer in residence at UNC. 3 titles in the catalog →
• Thomas Burke c. 1747–1783 Irish-born poet and Revolutionary governor of North Carolina, writing from Hillsborough, where Tory raiders kidnapped him in 1781. 1 title in the catalog →
• Olive Ann Burns 1924–1990 UNC journalism graduate and author of Cold Sassy Tree, the bestselling novel of family and small-town Southern life published when she was sixty. 1 title in the catalog →
• Bob Burtman Investigative journalist and a founder of Hillsborough's community radio station WHUP; a 27 Views of Hillsborough contributor. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Candace Q. Butler Spoken word poet whose Rise Above It outreach carries inspirational poetry into the community. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Anthony Buttitta With Milton Abernethy, edited Contempo from Chapel Hill, publishing Faulkner and Langston Hughes; his memoirs recall Fitzgerald and the thirties literary scene. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• C
• Joseph Caldwell 1773–1835 UNC's first president and author of The Numbers of Carlton, essays urging the state toward schools and railroads. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Gabrielle Calvocoressi Poet of Rocket Fantastic and The New Economy; the Walker Percy Fellow in Poetry at UNC. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Annie Sutton Cameron Her Hillsborough and the Regulators told the town's Regulator years for its readers of 1964. 1 title in the catalog →
• Thomas J. Campanella Urban historian who taught city planning at UNC; his books include Brooklyn: The Once and Future City and Republic of Shade. A 27 Views of Hillsborough contributor. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Clay Carmichael Writer and illustrator of children's books whose pictures tell stories all their own. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website → · Our interview →
• Sheri Castle Chapel Hill food writer, host of PBS's Emmy-winning The Key Ingredient, and author of The New Southern Garden Cookbook; the Southern Foodways Alliance gave her its 2024 Keeper of the Flame Award and named her a Living Legend of Southern Food. 1 title in the catalog → · Author's website → · Read free on NC LIVE →
• Hope Summerell Chamberlain Her Old Days in Chapel Hill preserved the village's nineteenth-century life as its residents remembered it. 1 title in the catalog →
• Art Chansky Chapel Hill sportswriter whose books on Carolina basketball include Light Blue Reign, Blue Blood, and Game Changers, the story of Dean Smith, Charlie Scott, and integration at UNC. 5 titles in the catalog → · Read free on NC LIVE →
• Michael Chitwood Chapel Hill poet and essayist whose collections include Salt Works, Gospel Road Going, and From Whence; he taught for many years at UNC. 1 title in the catalog →
• Barbara Claypole White Bestselling novelist whose books include The Promise Between Us and Echoes of Family. 3 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Albert Coates 1896–1989 Founded UNC's Institute of Government and wrote its story in What the University of North Carolina Meant to Me. 1 title in the catalog →
• Oscar J. Coffin 1887–1956 Ran UNC's journalism instruction for three decades as its famously gruff dean, shaping the reporters this directory is full of. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Wim Coleman With Pat Perrin, formed a husband-and-wife writing team responsible for dozens of books for young readers and adults. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• William Conescu Novelist of Being Written and Kara Was Here, the latter on the Literary Map's list of books set in this county. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Nancy Kenney Connolly Poet whose collections include I Take This World. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• R. D. W. Connor 1878–1950 UNC historian who became the first Archivist of the United States. 8 titles in the catalog →
• Tressie McMillan Cottom UNC professor, MacArthur Fellow, and National Book Award finalist for the essay collection Thick. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Mildred "Mama Dip" Council 1929–2018 Chapel Hill restaurateur whose Mama Dip's Kitchen and Mama Dip's Family Cookbook preserve the recipes, stories, and food traditions behind one of the town's best-known institutions. 2 titles in the catalog →
• Hal Crowther Essayist on culture, politics, and the South; twice a Pushcart Prize winner, formerly of Time and Newsweek. 4 titles in the catalog → · Author's website → · 2 titles free on NC LIVE →
• Paul Cuadros UNC professor whose A Home on the Field follows the champion Latino soccer team he helped found in Siler City; a contributor to 27 Views of Chapel Hill. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Laine Cunningham Novelist whose work draws on six months traveling alone through the Australian Outback; read at the Friends' 2018 book fair. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Moses Ashley Curtis 1808–1872 Rector of St. Matthew's and the nation's leading mycologist of his day, whose botanical writings catalogued thousands of species; buried in Hillsborough. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• D
• Jennifer Daniels Hillsborough poet laureate from 2022 to 2024. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Cathy N. Davidson Scholar of learning and technology who taught at Duke for decades; her books include Now You See It and The New Education. 1 title in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Barbara Davis North Carolina novelist of Southern family secrets whose books include The Secrets She Carried; she spoke at a Friends-sponsored author talk the year it debuted. 4 titles in the catalog → · Author's website → · In our newsletter →
• Thadious M. Davis Literary scholar and biographer of Nella Larsen; in 1979 she and Trudier Harris became the first Black women to join UNC's English faculty. 2 titles in the catalog →
• William Davis Hillsborough poet laureate from 2016 to 2018. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Tyree Daye Whiting Award-winning poet of Cardinal; teaches in UNC's creative writing program. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Jeffery Deaver Bestselling thriller writer of the Lincoln Rhyme novels, beginning with The Bone Collector; he makes his home in Chapel Hill. 44 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Jamie DeMent Farmer at Hillsborough's Coon Rock Farm and author of The Farmhouse Chef, published by UNC Press. 1 title in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Stephen Demorest Emmy-winning daytime television writer who, with his wife Nancy Curlee Demorest, brought a lost UNC basketball legend back into print in Larry Miller Time (2020), launched at Purple Crow Books. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Tracy Deonn New York Times bestselling fantasy author whose Legendborn cycle is set on the UNC campus, where she earned two degrees. 6 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Sarah Dessen Bestselling author of fourteen young adult novels including Along for the Ride and Saint Anything. 20 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Abigail DeWitt Grew up in Chapel Hill; her novels include News of Our Loved Ones, drawn from her French family's wartime history. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Edward Di Gangi His memoir The Gift Best Given traces the search, begun at age sixty-nine, for the birth mother he never knew. 4 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Annie Dillard Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek; she divides her time between Hillsborough and Virginia. 7 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Florence Dore UNC English professor and rock musician whose Novel Sounds traces rock and roll through Southern fiction. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Max Dowdle Muralist and director of NC Public Art whose graphic novel Shattered With Curve of Horn (2014) began as a webcomic; he gave a children's reading at the Friends' 2019 Local Author Book Fair. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website → · In our newsletter →
• Morrow Dowdle Poet exploring family, culture, and history; the chapbook Nature v. Nurture debuted at the Hillsborough book fair. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website → · Our interview →
• Carlina Duan Poet of Alien Miss; teaches in UNC's creative writing program. 1 title in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Cathy East Dubowski With Mark Dubowski, author of scores of children's books, from early readers to film tie-ins. 2 titles in the catalog →
• Mark Dubowski With Cathy East Dubowski, author of scores of children's books, from early readers to film tie-ins. 1 title in the catalog →
• Dori Ann Dupré Novelist whose debut Scout's Honor raises the kinds of questions the MeToo movement soon brought to national attention. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Our interview →
• Pam Durban Whiting Award-winning fiction writer and UNC's Doris Betts Distinguished Professor emerita; her books include The Laughing Place and So Far Back. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Woody Durham 1941–2018 The Voice of the Tar Heels for forty years; his memoir recounts the games from courtside. 1 title in the catalog →
• Kathleen DuVal UNC historian whose Native Nations won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for History. 2 titles in the catalog →
• E
• Charles Edward Eaton 1916–2006 Poet who taught creative writing at UNC and lived long on Greenwood Road; a recipient of the North Carolina Award for Literature. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Elizabeth Edwards 1949–2010 Chapel Hill author of the bestselling memoirs Saving Graces and Resilience. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• John Ehle 1925–2018 His The Free Men is a firsthand chronicle of the Chapel Hill civil rights demonstrations, written while on the UNC faculty. Inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame in 1997. 5 titles in the catalog → · 2 titles free on NC LIVE →
• Elon G. Eidenier Poet; a contributor to 27 Views of Hillsborough. 2 titles in the catalog →
• Erica Eisdorfer Ran UNC's Bull's Head Bookshop for decades and wrote the novel The Wet Nurse's Tale. 1 title in the catalog →
• Henry Small Ellenwood 1820s satirist and man of letters who wrote as Dr. Barnabus Bolus. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Richard Ellington Co-author of Carrboro in the Images of America series. A member of the Friends of the Library. 1 title in the catalog →
• Elizabeth Emerson Chapel Hill writer whose Letters from Red Farm tells the story of Helen Keller's friendship with her great-great-grandfather; Flyleaf keeps signed copies. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• J. S. Emuakpor Science fiction and fantasy author who read at the Friends' 2019 Local Author Book Fair. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website → · In our newsletter →
• Mary Claire Engstrom 1906–1997 The Hillsborough historian of her generation, who with her husband bought and preserved the Nash-Hooper House; her research papers are at UNC. 2 titles in the catalog →
• Alex Evanovich Co-author of bestsellers with her mother Janet, and teacher of the library's 2025 teen writing workshop. 2 titles in the catalog → · Author's website → · Library event, Jul 19, 2025 → · In our newsletter →
• Janet Evanovich Creator of the bestselling Stephanie Plum mystery series; she headlined the Friends' Evening with the Author in 2025. 138 titles in the catalog → · Author's website → · In our newsletter →
• F
• Elisa Faison Carrboro novelist and former Flyleaf bookseller whose debut, Skin Contact, grew from a short story she began while completing her doctorate at UNC. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Melissa Faliveno Essayist whose debut collection Tomboyland explores gender, class, and the Midwest. 2 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Melora Fern Turned a lifetime of making up stories into fiction; her debut novel Whistling Women and Crowing Hens (Sybilline Press) is on the library shelf, and she leads the library's writing workshop series. She serves on the Friends of the Library board. 2 titles in the catalog → · Author's website → · Library event, Nov 9, 2025 →
• Marcie Cohen Ferris UNC American studies professor emerita whose The Edible South put the region's food history on the scholarly table. 4 titles in the catalog → · Author's website → · Read free on NC LIVE →
• William Ferris Folklorist, photographer, and former UNC history professor whose books, recordings, and films preserve the American South; his Voices of Mississippi box set won two Grammy Awards. 3 titles in the catalog →
• Art Fettig 1929–2021 Speaker, author, and Friends member who entertained at the library's 2012 summer programs. 1 title in the catalog → · Read a profile → · In our newsletter →
• Peter Filene UNC historian and novelist; his books include Him/Her/Self and the novel Little Fingers. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Shannon Fitzgerald Hillsborough teacher whose picture books help children name their feelings; she read Halloween Night at the library's 2015 Halloween celebration. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Shelby Foote 1916–2005 His three-volume The Civil War: A Narrative made him the war's great narrator; as a UNC student in the 1930s he read his way through Wilson Library and published in Carolina Magazine. 3 titles in the catalog →
• Ben Fountain Born in Chapel Hill and educated at UNC; Brief Encounters with Che Guevara won the PEN/Hemingway Award and Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk the National Book Critics Circle Award. 4 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Terrence Foushee Poet of Black Mama Advice, writing from the county's own communities. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Barbara L. Fredrickson UNC psychologist of positive emotions; author of Positivity and Love 2.0. 1 title in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Edwin Wiley Fuller 1847–1876 His Sea-Gift of 1873 was the first novel to make UNC student life its subject. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• G
• Nora Gaskin Suspense novelist whose Time of Death is on the Literary Map's list of books set in this county. 3 titles in the catalog → · Author's website → · Library event, Jun 24, 2026 →
• Peg Gignoux Chapel Hill textile artist and illustrator who created Planting Hope with Susie Wilde. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Cortland Gilliam Chapel Hill's second poet laureate, serving 2023 to 2024. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Marianne Gingher Novelist of Bobby Rex's Greatest Hit; taught in UNC's creative writing program for decades. 5 titles in the catalog →
• Joseph T. Glatthaar UNC military historian whose General Lee's Army follows the Army of Northern Virginia from the ranks up. 1 title in the catalog →
• Gloria Glenn Children's author whose chapter book Caretta the Top Turtle was a repeat favorite at Friends book sale readings. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · In our newsletter →
• Tate Godwin Children's author who led a kids' talk and workshop at the library in 2025. 2 titles in the catalog → · Author's website → · Library event, Oct 8, 2025 →
• Laurel Goldman Chapel Hill novelist of Sounding the Territory whose private workshops trained a generation of area writers. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Nancy Goodwin Created the celebrated gardens at Montrose in Hillsborough and wrote them into Montrose: Life in a Garden and A Year in Our Gardens. 1 title in the catalog →
• Brooks Graebner Longtime rector of Hillsborough's St. Matthew's and historian of the Episcopal church in North Carolina; a 27 Views of Hillsborough contributor. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Alex Grant Chapel Hill poet whose collections include Fear of Moving Water. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Susan Gravely Founder of the tableware company Vietri, whose memoir-cookbook Italy on a Plate (2023) ends at her own Chapel Hill table; also Italy in a Glass and the Old St. Nick picture books. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Louis Graves 1883–1965 UNC's first journalism professor and founding editor of the Chapel Hill Weekly, the paper where Jeff MacNelly later began his career. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Ralph Henry Graves 1878–1939 Chapel Hill journalist of a newspaper family who edited for the New York Times. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Jaki Shelton Green Ninth Poet Laureate of North Carolina and the first African American in the role; teaches documentary poetry at Duke. Inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame in 2014. 4 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Paul Green 1894–1981 Won the Pulitzer Prize for drama and taught and wrote in Chapel Hill for decades. Inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame in 1996. 3 titles in the catalog → · Read free on NC LIVE →
• Stephanie Greene Chapel Hill author of roughly twenty children's books, including the Owen Foote and Sophie Hartley series. 7 titles in the catalog →
• Edwin Greenlaw 1874–1931 Built UNC's English department in the 1910s and twenties; Thomas Wolfe counted him among his formative teachers. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Stephanie Elizondo Griest Travel memoirist of Around the Bloc and All the Agents and Saints; teaches creative nonfiction at UNC. 1 title in the catalog → · Author's website → · Read free on NC LIVE →
• Clay Griffith With Susan Griffith, co-author of the Vampire Empire fantasy trilogy. 1 title in the catalog →
• Susan Griffith With Clay Griffith, co-author of the Vampire Empire fantasy trilogy. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Allan Gurganus Author of the bestselling Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All and White People; his honors include a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Sue Kaufman Prize. Inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame in 2010. 8 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Michael Keenan Gutierrez Novelist of The Trench Angel; teaches writing at UNC. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Minrose Gwin Novelist, memoirist, and former UNC professor whose books include The Queen of Palmyra, Promise, The Accidentals, and Wishing for Snow. 3 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• H
• Nortin Hadler UNC physician whose Worried Sick and The Last Well Person question what medicine oversells. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · 3 titles free on NC LIVE →
• Nancy Learned Haines Historian of Hillsborough's early Quaker settlers, tracing the families who migrated from Pennsylvania in the 1750s. 3 titles in the catalog → · Author's website → · Our interview →
• Jacquelyn Dowd Hall Chapel Hill historian and founding director of UNC's Southern Oral History Program; author of Revolt Against Chivalry and co-author of Like a Family, and a National Humanities Medal recipient. 2 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• David J. Halperin UNC professor emeritus of religious studies; his books span the novel Journal of a UFO Investigator and the study Intimate Alien. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Melissa Hardy Fiction writer whose stories have appeared in The Atlantic and Best American Short Stories. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Trudier Harris Scholar and author of more than twenty books on African American literature and folklore; in 1979 she and Thadious Davis became the first Black women to join UNC's English faculty. 1 title in the catalog →
• Jeremy Hawkins His novel The Last Days of Video is on the Literary Map's list of books set in this county. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Lori Hayes Writes small-town women's fiction and coastal romance, including the Crystal Coast series; presented at the library in 2023. 4 titles in the catalog → · Author's website → · Library event, Dec 3, 2023 →
• Dennis Heartt 1783–1870 Published the Hillsborough Recorder for nearly fifty years, the first newspaper west of Raleigh, and organized the Hillsborough Literary Association in 1842. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Elizabeth Hein Novelist of Overlook and How to Climb the Eiffel Tower; read at the Friends' 2018 book fair. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Archibald Henderson 1877–1963 Fifty years on the UNC faculty, George Bernard Shaw's authorized biographer, and author of The Conquest of the Old Southwest; he died at Fordell, his Chapel Hill home. 2 titles in the catalog →
• Barbara Bynum Henderson Poet and translator honored on the Orange County Courthouse mural. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• William McCranor Henderson Novelist of Stark Raving Elvis and I Killed Hemingway; taught fiction at UNC. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Caroline Lee Hentz 1800–1856 Antebellum bestseller and rival to Harriet Beecher Stowe; wrote in Chapel Hill in the late 1820s. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Bernard L. Herman 1951–2025 UNC professor of American studies whose A South You Never Ate gathered the foodways of the Eastern Shore. 2 titles in the catalog → · 2 titles free on NC LIVE →
• Patrick Herron Carrboro poet laureate from 2003 to 2005 and founder of the West End Poetry Festival. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• J. G. Hetherton Durham mystery writer of Last Girl Gone (2018) and What Lies Beneath (2022); read at the Friends' 2019 Book Fair "Noir at the Bar" evening at Yonder. 6 titles in the catalog → · Author's website → · In our newsletter →
• Glenn Hinson UNC folklorist whose Fire in My Bones listens inside African American gospel. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Fred Hobson UNC scholar and author whose books on Southern literature and identity include Mencken: A Life, Serpent in Eden, and But Now I See. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Judy Hogan 1937–2024 Founded Carolina Wren Press, the press later led by Andrea Selch; poet, teacher, and mystery novelist. 1 title in the catalog →
• William Woods Holden 1818–1892 Born near Hillsborough and apprenticed to Dennis Heartt at the Recorder before becoming the state's most influential newspaper editor and, later, its governor. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Culley Holderfield His debut Hemlock Hollow (Regal House, 2022), a Blue Ridge story that won the Eric Hoffer Award for historical fiction; he lives in Cedar Grove beside Duke Forest. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• C. Hugh Holman 1914–1981 UNC literary scholar whose A Handbook to Literature sat on a half century of student desks; a founder of the Southern Literary Journal. 1 title in the catalog →
• George Moses Horton c. 1798–1883 Composed and sold poems on the UNC campus while enslaved, becoming the first Black Southerner to publish a book of poetry; a North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame inductee. 1 title in the catalog →
• Noel Houston 1909–1958 Novelist and playwright of The Great Promise; buried in the Old Chapel Hill Cemetery. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Janet Howle Her novel Uncharted draws on years of sailing the Bahamas and a shady chapter of the islands' history. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Hatcher Hughes 1881–1945 UNC graduate whose Hell-Bent fer Heaven won the 1924 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, giving Chapel Hill training a second drama Pulitzer alongside Paul Green's. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Kermit Hunter 1910–2001 Wrote the outdoor dramas Unto These Hills and Horn in the West from a UNC doctorate under Paul Green. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Herman Husband 1724–1795 Regulator pamphleteer whose tracts argued the backcountry's case before the Revolution; he farmed ten thousand Sandy Creek acres and served as an Orange County assemblyman. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• I
• Jan Irwin Hillsborough writer whose debut novel Finding Your Place launched with a Friends fundraiser at the Burwell School in 2025. A member of the Friends of the Library. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website → · In our newsletter →
• J
• Barry Jacobs Hillsborough sportswriter of five ACC books including Across the Line, on the league's first Black players; he also served twenty years as an Orange County commissioner. 4 titles in the catalog →
• Gerald W. Johnson 1890–1980 UNC journalism professor turned Baltimore essayist, author of some thirty books. Inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame in 1996. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Guion Griffis Johnson 1900–1989 Historian whose Ante-Bellum North Carolina: A Social History remains a standard account of everyday life in the state. 1 title in the catalog →
• Guy B. Johnson 1901–1991 UNC sociologist and folklorist; his John Henry: Tracking Down a Negro Legend pursued the ballad to its sources. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Fred Joiner Carrboro poet laureate from 2019 to 2022 and a 2019 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellow. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Adam W. Jones Author of the Cecil the Littlest Ant series for young readers. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• H. G. Jones 1924–2018 North Carolina historian, archivist, and longtime curator of UNC's North Carolina Collection; his books include For History's Sake, North Carolina Illustrated, and Miss Mary's Money, the story of Mary Ruffin Smith. 2 titles in the catalog → · Read free on NC LIVE →
• Paul Jones UNC professor, poet, and founder of the ibiblio digital library; a contributor to 27 Views of Chapel Hill. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Allegra Jordan Novelist of The End of Innocence. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• K
• Amal Kassir Hillsborough poet laureate for 2025 to 2027; a Syrian American slam champion and author of Scud Missile Blues. 2 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Josh Kastrinsky Journalist; a contributor to 27 Views of Hillsborough. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Mark Katz UNC music professor whose Build: The Power of Hip Hop Diplomacy grew from leading a State Department program. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Harry Kavros Author and former president of the Friends' own board; he and Peregrine Kavros have hosted the Friends garden party at Hyacinth Farm. 1 title in the catalog → · Author's website → · Library event, Sep 22, 2024 →
• Elizabeth Keckly 1818–1907 Enslaved in Hillsborough as a young woman; later Mary Todd Lincoln’s dressmaker and author of the White House memoir Behind the Scenes. 2 titles in the catalog → · Read a profile →
• Diane Kelly Former tax advisor whose comic mystery series include Death and Taxes, Paw Enforcement, and House Flipper; a winner of Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart Award. She serves on the Friends of the Library board, which she led as president from 2023 to 2025. 11 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Randall Kenan 1963–2020 Whiting Award-winning chronicler of Black North Carolina life who taught at UNC and made his home in Hillsborough. Inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame in 2018. 6 titles in the catalog →
• Barbara Kenyon Hillsborough poet laureate from 2012 to 2014. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Sue Monk Kidd Bestselling author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Invention of Wings; she makes her home in Chapel Hill. 18 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Carolyn Kizer 1925–2014 Pulitzer Prize-winning poet of Yin who served as poet in residence at UNC. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Keith Knight Carrboro cartoonist of The K Chronicles and The Knight Life, and co-creator of the television series Woke. 2 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Frederick H. "Proff" Koch 1877–1944 Founded the Carolina Playmakers at UNC in 1918 and taught Thomas Wolfe, Paul Green, Betty Smith, and Josefina Niggli their stagecraft. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Nathan Kotecki Author of the young adult novels The Suburban Strange and Pull Down the Night. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Charles Kuralt 1934–1997 The Emmy-winning voice of CBS's On the Road; UNC class of 1955 and Daily Tar Heel editor, he is buried in the Old Chapel Hill Cemetery. 2 titles in the catalog →
• L
• Allen Lacy 1935–2015 Garden essayist whose books include Home Ground and The Garden in Autumn. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Jock Lauterer Journalist, photographer, and UNC teacher whose books include Community Journalism, Only in Chapel Hill, and Wouldn't Take Nothin' for My Journey Now. 1 title in the catalog →
• Howard N. Lee Former Chapel Hill mayor and North Carolina public servant whose memoir, The Courage to Lead, recounts his journey through the Jim Crow South and a career spent breaking political and educational barriers. 1 title in the catalog →
• Hugh Talmage Lefler 1901–1981 Author of the standard state history taught to generations of North Carolinians, and co-author of Orange County, 1752-1952. 7 titles in the catalog →
• James L. Leloudis UNC historian and co-author of Like a Family and Fragile Democracy. 2 titles in the catalog → · 2 titles free on NC LIVE →
• Jared Lemus Author of the story collection Guatemalan Rhapsody; teaches fiction at UNC. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• William E. Leuchtenburg 1922–2025 Chapel Hill presidential historian and longtime UNC professor; his Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal won the Bancroft Prize, and his later books include The American President. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Anna Linvill Former Arabic linguist who wrote on Libya for Newsweek International; rooted in Hillsborough and working in Duke's diplomacy program. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Donovan Livingston Chapel Hill poet laureate for 2025 and 2026, whose Harvard convocation address became the book Lift Off. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Zelda Lockhart Novelist of Fifth Born and Cold Running Creek; served as the 2010 Piedmont Laureate. 9 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Kate Lovelady Carrboro's first poet laureate, serving from 2002 to 2003. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Adam Lucas Chronicler of Carolina athletics whose books include Carolina Basketball: A Century of Excellence. 4 titles in the catalog → · Author's website → · 3 titles free on NC LIVE →
• M
• Jeff MacNelly 1947–2000 Three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist who began his career at the Chapel Hill Weekly and later created the nationally syndicated comic strip Shoe. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Jodi Magness UNC archaeologist of the Holy Land whose books include Masada and Jerusalem Through the Ages. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Tom Magnuson Founder of the Trading Path Association, documenting the old roads and river crossings of the Carolina backcountry; a 27 Views of Hillsborough contributor. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Michael Malone 1942–2022 Author of ten novels including Handling Sin; his honors include an Edgar Award, an O. Henry Award, and an Emmy. 15 titles in the catalog → · Read a profile →
• Doug Marlette 1949–2007 Creator of the comic strip Kudzu and winner of the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning; his novel The Bridge was written from his Hillsborough years. 9 titles in the catalog →
• D. G. Martin 1940–2025 Chapel Hill host of North Carolina Bookwatch for two decades and author of the One on One columns. Inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame in 2026. 1 title in the catalog →
• Elizabeth Matheson Hillsborough-born photographer whose books include Blithe Air and the award-winning Hidden Hillsborough; her prints are held by the North Carolina Museum of Art, Duke, and the Ackland. A member of the Friends of the Library. 3 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Charity Curley Mathews Founder of Foodlets and author of four Rockridge Press cookbooks for young cooks, from Super Simple Baking for Kids to Pizza School and the Cupcake Cookbook for Kids. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• James Maxey Writes science fiction and fantasy, from the Bitterwood dragon novels to superhero capers; served as the 2015 Piedmont Laureate. 11 titles in the catalog → · Author's website → · Our interview →
• Frances Mayes Author of the bestselling Under the Tuscan Sun and, closer to home, A Place in the World. 25 titles in the catalog → · Author's website → · Library event, Aug 18, 2024 →
• Anna Jean Mayhew Her debut The Dry Grass of August won the Sir Walter Raleigh Award and has been translated into seven languages. A longtime member of the Friends of the Library. 5 titles in the catalog →
• Jill McCorkle Novelist and short story writer whose bestselling books include Life After Life and Hieroglyphics. Inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame in 2018. 25 titles in the catalog → · Author's website → · Library event, Jan 12, 2024 → · 7 titles free on NC LIVE →
• Nancie McDermott Chapel Hill food writer of fourteen cookbooks, including Southern Pies and Southern Cakes. 1 title in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Gillian McDunn North Carolina author of middle grade novels including Caterpillar Summer and When Sea Becomes Sky. 6 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Michael McFee Poet of a dozen collections, including Shinemaster and We Were Once Here; taught in UNC's creative writing program for more than three decades. A recipient of the North Carolina Award for Literature. 1 title in the catalog →
• April McGreger Hillsborough founder of Farmer's Daughter preserves and author of Sweet Potatoes in UNC Press's Savor the South series. 3 titles in the catalog → · Author's website → · Read free on NC LIVE →
• Will McInerney Poet and audio journalist; a contributor to 27 Views of Chapel Hill. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Laurie McKay Children's fantasy author who joined the 2015 local writers panel ahead of National Novel Writing Month. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website → · In our newsletter →
• Brenda Chambers McKean Author of Blood and War at My Doorstep, on the experiences of North Carolina women and civilians during the Civil War. 1 title in the catalog → · In our newsletter →
• Tim McLaurin 1953–2002 Novelist and memoirist whose Keeper of the Moon recalls a hard North Carolina boyhood. 1 title in the catalog →
• Neal McTighe Carrboro poet laureate from 2005 to 2010. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Deborah Fletcher Mello Novelist whose Friends-sponsored author talk closed out the June 2013 event season. 1 title in the catalog → · In our newsletter →
• Alissa C. Miles Author of Mad Moon and founder of the Hillsborough Writers group. 1 title in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Elisha Mitchell 1793–1857 UNC scientist ordained at Hillsborough by the Presbytery of Orange; his geological tour diaries are foundational North Carolina nature writing, and the state's highest peak bears his name. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Linda Foster Momsen United Methodist pastor whose memoir What I Didn't Know Then traces a woman's path to the pulpit through the 1970s. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Rosetta Austin Moore Author of The Impact of Slavery on the Education of Blacks in Orange County, North Carolina; read at the 2016 spring book sale. 1 title in the catalog → · In our newsletter →
• Ruth Moose Taught in UNC's creative writing program for fifteen years; her Dixie Dew mysteries begin with Doing It at the Dixie Dew. 1 title in the catalog →
• Eric L. Muller UNC law professor whose American Inquisition and Lawyer, Jailer, Ally, Foe examine the Japanese American incarceration. 1 title in the catalog → · Read free on NC LIVE →
• Archibald DeBow Murphey 1777–1832 Hillsborough lawyer remembered as the father of North Carolina's public schools; wrote his foundational reports and addresses from here. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• N
• Francis Nash Hillsborough attorney and historian; his 1903 Historic Hillsboro is still an important early history of the town. 4 titles in the catalog →
• Lawrence Naumoff Whiting Award-winning novelist of Silk Hope, NC and Night of the Weeping Women; taught creative writing at UNC. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Bill Neal 1950–1991 Chapel Hill chef and food writer whose Bill Neal's Southern Cooking and Biscuits, Spoonbread, and Sweet Potato Pie helped bring the history and traditions of Southern cooking to a national audience. 3 titles in the catalog → · Read free on NC LIVE →
• Moreton Neal Chapel Hill chef and author of Remembering Bill Neal, preserving the recipes, career, and influence of the Southern food writer and restaurateur with whom she founded La Résidence. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Gene R. Nichol UNC law professor whose books confront poverty in North Carolina, including The Faces of Poverty. 4 titles in the catalog → · 4 titles free on NC LIVE →
• Josefina Niggli 1910–1983 Came to UNC to study playwriting under Koch and Green; her Mexican Village was among the first Mexican American literary works to reach a national audience. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Craig Nova Guggenheim Fellow and author of novels including The Good Son. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• O
• Elaine O’Neil Hillsborough textile collage artist whose stitched scenes illustrate children's books including Goodnight Carolina and Road Trip Carolina. 2 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• M. Randal O'Wain Essayist of Meander Belt; teaches creative nonfiction at UNC. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Howard W. Odum 1884–1954 Kenan Professor for thirty-four years, founder of the journal Social Forces, and author of Southern Regions of the United States and the Black Ulysses novels. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• P
• Lee Pace Chronicler of Tar Heel football and Carolina golf whose books include Sanford Stadium sidelines and the courses of Pinehurst. 10 titles in the catalog → · Author's website → · Read free on NC LIVE →
• Natasha Paredes Hillsborough spoken word artist with Dominican and South African roots. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Freddie L. Parker Historian of North Carolina slavery; his Running for Freedom and Stealing a Little Freedom document the people who fled it. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Karen L. Parker The first Black woman to earn a UNC undergraduate degree; her 1960s diary of the Chapel Hill sit-ins is a landmark civil rights document, and she spent a career at North Carolina newspapers. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Daniel W. Patterson UNC folklorist of The Shaker Spiritual and the ballad singers of the Carolina mountains. 3 titles in the catalog → · 2 titles free on NC LIVE →
• David Payne New York Times Notable author of five novels and the memoir Barefoot to Avalon. 4 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Nancy Peacock Hillsborough novelist whose debut Life Without Water was a New York Times Notable Book; served as the 2018 Piedmont Laureate. 5 titles in the catalog → · Author's website → · Library event, Jun 24, 2026 →
• Joanna Pearson Fiction writer and psychiatrist; her story collection Now You Know It All won the Drue Heinz Prize. 1 title in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Walker Percy 1916–1990 Studied at UNC before The Moviegoer won the National Book Award. 3 titles in the catalog →
• Pat Perrin With Wim Coleman, formed a husband-and-wife writing team responsible for dozens of books for young readers and adults. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Steven Petrow Journalist and essayist on aging, health, and civility for the Washington Post and New York Times; served as the 2024 Piedmont Laureate. A member of the Friends of the Library. 2 titles in the catalog → · Author's website → · Our interview →
• Gary Phillips Carrboro poet laureate from 2016 to 2019. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Orrin Pilkey Duke coastal geologist and author of many books on barrier islands and shoreline retreat, including The Beaches Are Moving. 1 title in the catalog → · Read free on NC LIVE →
• Matt Poindexter Hillsborough poet whose debut chapbook Fatherland (Unicorn Press, 2025) turns fatherhood, family, and his native North Carolina into verse. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Barry Popkin UNC nutrition scientist whose The World Is Fat traced the global rise of obesity. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• William S. Powell 1919–2015 Chapel Hill historian whose reference works, including North Carolina Through Four Centuries, the Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, and the Encyclopedia of North Carolina, helped define how the state documents its past. Inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame in 2008. 16 titles in the catalog → · 2 titles free on NC LIVE →
• Minnie Bruce Pratt 1946–2023 Poet, essayist, and activist whose years at UNC and in Chapel Hill's feminist and lesbian communities shaped books including Crime Against Nature, a Lamont Poetry Selection of the Academy of American Poets. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Max Preston A contributor to 27 Views of Hillsborough. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Adam O'Fallon Price Novelist of The Hotel Neversink and The Grand Tour; teaches fiction at UNC. 1 title in the catalog → · Author's website →
• William Meade Prince 1893–1951 Illustrator and memoirist whose The Southern Part of Heaven gave Chapel Hill its nickname. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Mitchell Prinstein UNC psychologist and author of Popular: The Power of Likability in a Status-Obsessed World. 2 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Eryk Pruitt Crime novelist, screenwriter, and co-creator of the true crime podcast The Long Dance; his novels include Something Bad Wrong. 8 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Katie Rose Guest Pryal Chapel Hill novelist and essayist whose books include the Hollywood Lights series and A Light in the Tower. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Q
• Maureen Quilligan Renaissance scholar who taught at Duke; her books include The Allegory of Female Authority. 1 title in the catalog →
• R
• Tom Rankin Photographer, filmmaker, and folklorist whose books include Sacred Space: Photographs from the Mississippi Delta. 1 title in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Shannon Ravenel Co-founder of Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill and longtime editor of New Stories from the South and The Best American Short Stories; a 2026 inductee of the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• John Shelton Reed Essayist and former UNC sociologist whose many books explore Southern culture and identity, including The Enduring South, Holy Smoke, and On Barbecue. 4 titles in the catalog → · Author's website → · 2 titles free on NC LIVE →
• Jessie Rehder 1908–1967 Ran UNC's creative writing program when few women anywhere led one; author of The Young Writer at Chapel Hill. 1 title in the catalog →
• Holly Reid A contributor to 27 Views of Hillsborough. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Andrea Reusing Chef of Chapel Hill's Lantern and a James Beard Award winner; her cookbook Cooking in the Moment follows a year of eating locally. 1 title in the catalog →
• Mary Rocap Cedar Grove singer and songwriter with five albums of mostly original songs and an NC Arts Council songwriting fellowship. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• John Rosenthal Chapel Hill photographer and longtime Sun essayist; his After: The Silence of the Lower 9th Ward pictures New Orleans three years on. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Vermont C. Royster 1914–1996 Won two Pulitzer Prizes as editor of the Wall Street Journal's editorial page, then came home to teach journalism at UNC. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Gibbons Ruark UNC-educated poet of Rescue the Perishing and Passing Through Customs. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Robert Ruark 1915–1965 Columnist and novelist of The Old Man and the Boy, who enrolled at UNC at fifteen; his papers are in the Southern Historical Collection. Inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame in 2000. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Louis D. Rubin Jr. 1923–2013 UNC English professor who founded Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill in 1983 with Shannon Ravenel; a recipient of the North Carolina Award for Literature. Inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame in 1997. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• John Russell 1954–2021 Corporate lawyer whose novels Favorite Sons and All the Right Circles turn an insider's eye on North Carolina politics. A Chapel Hill resident who edited the Daily Tar Heel at UNC; his literary papers are held at Wilson Library. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• LD Russell Taught religion and popular culture at Elon University; his Godspeed: Racing Is My Religion explores stock car racing as religious experience. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Phillips Russell 1884–1974 Founded UNC's creative writing instruction in 1931 and taught it for twenty-five years; biographer of Franklin and Emerson, and a recipient of the North Carolina Award for Literature. 2 titles in the catalog →
• S
• Sy Safransky Chapel Hill essayist and founder of The Sun, the independent literary magazine he began locally in 1974 and guided for nearly five decades. 1 title in the catalog →
• Roger Sauls Poet whose collections include Light and The Hierarchies of Rue. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• April Scales Wrote four books during three decades of incarceration, including Fenced In Fighting for Freedom; she presented at the library in 2025. 1 title in the catalog → · Author's website → · Library event, Oct 4, 2025 →
• Beverly Scarlett Retired district court judge who writes on the county's Indigenous and African American heritage; a 27 Views of Hillsborough contributor. 3 titles in the catalog →
• George F. Scheer 1917–1996 Chapel Hill historian and publishers' representative whose Rebels and Redcoats told the Revolution through those who fought it. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Joanna Catherine Scott Chapel Hill novelist and poet whose The Road from Chapel Hill follows three lives through Civil War North Carolina. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Jim Seay 1939–2026 Poet and longtime director of UNC's creative writing program, the post later held by several writers in this directory; he died in Chapel Hill in 2026. 1 title in the catalog → · Read free on NC LIVE →
• Andrea Selch Poet of Startling and Succory, and longtime president of Carolina Wren Press. 1 title in the catalog →
• Samia Serageldin Chapel Hill novelist and essayist whose The Cairo House draws on her Egyptian childhood; co-editor of the essay collection Mothers and Strangers. 2 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Phillip Shabazz Poet with a long record of teaching poetry in North Carolina classrooms. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Alan Shapiro Poet of more than a dozen collections; a National Book Award finalist and longtime UNC professor. 3 titles in the catalog → · Read free on NC LIVE →
• Paula Sharp Novelist on the Literary Map's county roster whose books include Crows over a Wheatfield and The Woman Who Was Not All There. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Celeste Shirecliffe Novelist whose Hidden Contempt draws on her work as a freelance video engineer; read at the Friends' 2019 Local Author Book Fair. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · In our newsletter →
• Bland Simpson Longtime UNC creative writing professor and pianist of the Red Clay Ramblers; his books chart North Carolina's sound country, from The Great Dismal onward. A recipient of the North Carolina Award. Inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame in 2020. 10 titles in the catalog → · 6 titles free on NC LIVE →
• Betty Smith 1896–1972 Wrote the bestselling A Tree Grows in Brooklyn from her home in Chapel Hill. 4 titles in the catalog →
• Bill Smith Chapel Hill chef, essayist, and author of Seasoned in the South and Crabs and Oysters, drawing on the foodways of eastern North Carolina and his twenty-five years at Crook's Corner. 5 titles in the catalog → · Read free on NC LIVE →
• Courtney Soling Smith Exhibits and programs coordinator at the Orange County Historical Museum and co-author of its Working for a Living and SCORE! histories; her own books run from the Civil War novel Lies to Short Plays for Community Actors. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Jay M. Smith UNC historian who, with Mary Willingham, wrote Cheated, the inside account of the university's athletic-academic scandal. 1 title in the catalog →
• Julia Ridley Smith Author of the memoir The Sum of Trifles; teaches in UNC's creative writing program. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website → · Read free on NC LIVE →
• Lee Smith Bestselling author of Oral History, Fair and Tender Ladies, and On Agate Hill, which is set in 1870s Hillsborough. Inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame in 2008. 38 titles in the catalog → · Author's website → · 5 titles free on NC LIVE →
• Sue Soltis Children's author of Nothing Like a Puffin. 3 titles in the catalog →
• Cornelia Phillips Spencer 1825–1908 Chapel Hill chronicler who famously rang the bell when the university reopened in 1875. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Elizabeth Spencer 1921–2019 Author of The Light in the Piazza and winner of the PEN/Malamud Award; lived and wrote in Chapel Hill from 1986 until her death. Inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame in 2002. 7 titles in the catalog →
• George Spencer Freelance journalist and former executive editor of the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine; co-author with Dr. Nathaniel Chin of When Memory Fades (St. Martin's Essentials, 2026), a guide for families facing dementia. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Lindsay Starck Novelist of Noah's Wife and Monsters We Have Made, written during her Chapel Hill years. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Celisa Steele Carrboro poet whose collections include How Language Is Lost. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Max Steele 1922–2005 Novelist whose debut Debby won the Harper Prize; directed UNC's creative writing program for two decades. Inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame in 2020. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Wilbur Daniel Steele 1886–1970 The most-honored American short story writer of the 1920s, a repeat O. Henry Prize winner who wrote from the Greenlaw House on East Franklin Street. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Leah Stewart Novelist whose books include The Myth of You and Me and The New Neighbor. 3 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• James Street 1903–1954 Bestselling novelist of Goodbye, My Lady and Tap Roots who spent his last years in Chapel Hill. 1 title in the catalog →
• Dee Stribling Poet of people and place, with a geographer's eye for how each shapes the other. 1 title in the catalog → · Author's website → · Our interview →
• Carol Strickland Read and signed at the 2018 Hillsborough Local Author Book Fair. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · In our newsletter →
• CJ Suitt Chapel Hill native and director of the Sacrificial Poets; appointed the town's first poet laureate in 2019. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Patricia Sullivan Editor, book coach and publisher at Three Crows Press; edited Writers for Rare, thirty-two personal stories from the rare-disease community, and serves as NORD's Rare Action Network ambassador for North Carolina. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• John Wood Sweet UNC historian whose The Sewing Girl's Tale reconstructs a landmark 1793 trial. 1 title in the catalog → · Author's website →
• T
• John K. Terres 1905–2006 Naturalist and longtime Audubon editor who wrote The Audubon Society Encyclopedia of North American Birds from Chapel Hill. 1 title in the catalog →
• Tess Tessier Retired professor of philosophy and religious studies, published writer and poet, and an advocate for kids' right to read. She serves as the Friends of the Library board secretary. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Alexis Thomas Contributor to an anthology in which Colombian adoptees tell their own stories of identity and search; read at the Friends' 2019 Local Author Book Fair. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Our interview →
• Charles D. Thompson Jr. Documentary filmmaker and author whose books include Spirits of Just Men; a contributor to 27 Views of Chapel Hill. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Nancy Tilly Chapel Hill author of the young adult novel Golden Girl. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• George B. Tindall 1921–2006 UNC historian whose The Emergence of the New South anchored the field for decades. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• James S. Tippett 1885–1958 Chapel Hill children's poet whose I Live in a City and Crickety Cricket! set everyday life to verse for young readers, writing with Martha K. Tippett. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Tony Tost Poet of Invisible Bride and television writer whose credits include Longmire. 1 title in the catalog →
• Wells Tower Grew up in Chapel Hill and still writes from it; his story collection Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned won The Story Prize and made him one of The New Yorker's 20 Under 40. 1 title in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Mike Troy Hillsborough's first poet laureate, serving from 2010 to 2012. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Karen Tucker Novelist of Bewilderness; teaches fiction at UNC. 1 title in the catalog → · Author's website →
• U
• Janice May Udry 1928–2023 Chapel Hill children's author whose picture books include A Tree Is Nice, winner of the 1957 Caldecott Medal, and the Caldecott Honor book The Moon Jumpers. 1 title in the catalog →
• V
• John Valentine Bookseller and essayist, co-owner of the Regulator Bookshop; a 27 Views of Hillsborough contributor. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Rupert B. Vance 1899–1975 UNC sociologist whose Human Geography of the South mapped the region's people and land for a generation of scholars. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Aaron Vandemark Chef of Hillsborough's Panciuto; his essay appears in 27 Views of Hillsborough. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Elizabeth Gray Vining 1902–1999 Newbery Medal winner for Adam of the Road who worked as a UNC librarian and lived in Chapel Hill; her Windows for the Crown Prince recounts tutoring Japan's future emperor. 1 title in the catalog →
• Donna Vitucci Fiction writer of quiet, character-driven stories about aching hearts. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Our interview →
• W
• Paul W. Wager UNC professor who co-edited Orange County, 1752-1952 with Hugh Lefler, the county's bicentennial history. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Karl Edward Wagner 1945–1994 Chapel Hill horror and fantasy writer, British Fantasy Award-winning creator of Kane, and longtime editor of The Year's Best Horror Stories. 1 title in the catalog → · Read free on NC LIVE →
• Linda Wagner-Martin UNC English professor and biographer of Sylvia Plath, Gertrude Stein, and the Hemingways. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Daniel Wallace Author of Big Fish, which became the Tim Burton film, and longtime director of creative writing at UNC. Inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame in 2026. 17 titles in the catalog → · Author's website → · Read free on NC LIVE →
• Harry L. Watson UNC historian of the Jacksonian South, author of Liberty and Power and founding editor of Southern Cultures. 1 title in the catalog →
• Manly Wade Wellman 1903–1986 Often called a dean of dark fantasy and a World Fantasy Award winner; his Silver John stories carried North Carolina mountain folklore into fiction, written from decades in Chapel Hill. Inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame in 1996. 4 titles in the catalog →
• John Welter Comic novelist of Night of the Avenging Blowfish and I Want to Buy a Vowel. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Katharine Whalen Musician of the Squirrel Nut Zippers; her essay appears in 27 Views of Hillsborough. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Ross White Poet of Charm Offensive and director of Bull City Press; teaches in UNC's creative writing program. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Tom Wicker 1926–2011 New York Times columnist and novelist; a UNC journalism graduate whose papers rest in the Southern Historical Collection. Inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame in 2004. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Susie Wilde Chapel Hill literary specialist who leads writing residencies and workshops for readers and writers of every age. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Sylvia Wilkinson Novelist and former UNC creative writing lecturer whose A Killing Frost and Shadow of the Mountain both won the Sir Walter Raleigh Award; she also wrote a long series of books about auto racing. 1 title in the catalog → · Read free on NC LIVE →
• Dewey Williams Pastor of Mt. Bright Missionary Baptist Church in Hillsborough; his Finding Joy on Death Row grew from a prize-winning Yale sermon series. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Joel Williamson 1932–2019 UNC historian of The Crucible of Race and biographer of Faulkner and Elvis. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Mary Willingham With Jay M. Smith, wrote Cheated, the inside account of UNC's athletic-academic scandal. 1 title in the catalog →
• Louis Round Wilson 1876–1979 Founded UNC Press and the North Carolina Collection, and wrote the university's history; the main library bears his name. 2 titles in the catalog →
• Norman Wirzba Duke theologian writing at the crossroads of faith, ecology, and agrarian life. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Martha Witt Novelist of Broken as Things Are, which is on the Literary Map's list of books set in this county. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Thomas Wolf Author of The Called Shot and co-author of Midnight Assassin; twice winner of the North Carolina Literary Review's Doris Betts Fiction Prize. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Thomas Wolfe 1900–1938 Studied at UNC from 1916 to 1920, edited the Daily Tar Heel, and saw his first plays staged by the Carolina Playmakers before Look Homeward, Angel turned Chapel Hill into Pulpit Hill. Inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame in 1996. 4 titles in the catalog →
• Liza Wolff-Francis Poet of 48 Hours Down the Shore and Language of Crossing; served as Carrboro's eighth poet laureate from 2023 to 2025. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Frances M. Wood Novelist whose books include Daughter of Madrugada. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website → · Our interview →
• Peter Wood Duke historian emeritus whose Black Majority reshaped the study of colonial slavery; a Hillsborough resident and 27 Views contributor. 2 titles in the catalog →
• Elizabeth Woodman Founder of Hillsborough's Eno Publishers and editor of its 27 Views anthologies; co-author of the award-winning Hidden Hillsborough. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Molly Worthen UNC historian of American religion whose books include Apostles of Reason and Spellbound. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Angie Wright Reverend and author of Loving My Enemy & Other Outlandish Pursuits. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase → · Author's website →
• Y
• Jonathan Yardley Winner of the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism as the Washington Post's book critic; a UNC graduate and 1961 Daily Tar Heel editor. 1 title in the catalog →
• Edwin M. Yoder Jr. 1934–2023 Winner of the 1979 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing; he grew up in Mebane and died a Chapel Hill resident. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Lynn York Novelist of The Piano Teacher and The Sweet Life, and publisher of Blair, the North Carolina literary press. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Perry Deane Young 1941–2017 War correspondent and author of Two of the Missing and, with Dave Kopay, The David Kopay Story; his papers are at UNC. Their books on Open Library → · Goodreads → · Suggest a purchase →
• Barbara Younger Children's author of Purple Mountain Majesties, the story behind America the Beautiful. 3 titles in the catalog → · Author's website →
• Z
• David Zucchino Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist whose Wilmington's Lie chronicles the 1898 coup; a UNC graduate and former Daily Tar Heel editor who now teaches at UNC's journalism school. 2 titles in the catalog →
• Charles G. Zug III UNC folklorist whose Turners and Burners is the standard work on North Carolina pottery. 2 titles in the catalog →