FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Contact:  Robert Preston, Jr.,
              912.260.4276
              robert.preston@sgc.edu

Local Author, Songwriter Peggy Mercer to Speak at SGC

On Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012, Peggy Mercer, the Georgia Writers Association’s 2011 Georgia Author of the Year (Children’s Mid-Reader category), will speak at South Georgia College in the William S. Smith Library at 7 p.m.

Mercer, a Douglas native, is a well-known songwriter and author, and splits time between Douglas and Nashville, Tennessee. Peggy is a member of the SCBWI, and is the author of an adult novel, Strangers in Eden, and two children's books, Ten Cows to Texas and There Come a Soldier. Both children's books were award winners, and There Come a Soldier earned her a nomination for a Georgia Author of the Year Award in 2008. A fourth book, Peach: When the Well Run Dry, was published a year ago and earned her the 2011 Author of the Year Award.

In addition to authoring books, Mercer is also a songwriter. She is a member of the Broadcast Music Industry and has been featured in the "Songwriter's Connection" out of Nashville. Her songs have been included on several albums, and she also teaches aspiring songwriters and authors how to get started in the industry.

Mercer has a foundation called Give a Child a Book and a Chance, presents programs on an ongoing basis to schools and assemblies. One of her guiding mottos is: "It doesn't take a village to raise a child. It takes books. Give a child books and he can raise himself!”

The SGC event is free and open to the public.

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About South Georgia College

South Georgia College (www.sgc.edu) was founded in 1906 and is located in Douglas, Ga. The college's environment gives students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty. With over 20 majors and transfer opportunities, South Georgia College provides the finest education possible to the citizens of its service area.