Albert Watkins Key, Jr., publishing under the name Watt Key and Albert Key, is an American fiction author who is known for writing young-adult survival fiction. A resident of

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

, his

debut novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to pu ...

'' Alabama Moon'' was published by

Farrar, Straus and Giroux Farrar, Straus and Giroux (FSG) is an American book publishing company, founded in 1946 by Roger Williams Straus Jr. and John C. Farrar. FSG is known for publishing literary books, and its authors have won numerous awards, including Pulitzer P ...

in 2006 and was the 2007 winner of the E.B. White Read-Aloud Award for older readers. It received a 2006

Parents' Choice Award The Parents' Choice Award was an award presented by the non-profit Parents' Choice Foundation to recognize "the very best products for children of different ages and backgrounds, and of varied skill and interest levels." It was considered a "prest ...

. ''Alabama Moon'' has been translated and published in eight languages. In 2015 ''Alabama Moon'' was listed by

TIME Magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps as ''TIME'') is an American news magazine based in New York City. It was published weekly for nearly a century. Starting in March 2020, it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York Cit ...

as one of the top 100 young-adult books of all time. ''Alabama Moon'' was made into a 2009 feature film starring

John Goodman John Stephen Goodman (born June 20, 1952) is an American actor. He rose to prominence in television before becoming an acclaimed and popular film actor. Goodman has received List of awards and nominations received by John Goodman, various acc ...

Personal life

Watt Key is a graduate of Bayside Academy in Daphne, Alabama and received his Bachelor of Arts degree from

Birmingham–Southern College Birmingham–Southern College (BSC) was a private liberal arts college in Birmingham, Alabama. Founded in 1856, the college was affiliated with the United Methodist Church and was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SA ...

in Birmingham, Alabama. He earned his Masters of Business Administration from

Spring Hill College Spring Hill College is a private Jesuit college in Mobile, Alabama. It was founded in 1830 by Bishop Michael Portier of Mobile. Along with being the oldest private college or university in the state of Alabama, it was the first Catholic college ...

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. After a successful vote to annex areas west of the city limits in July 2023, Mobil ...

. While working as a computer programmer, he began submitting novels to publishers in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. When he was 34, he sold his debut novel, ''Alabama Moon'', to publisher

. Watt currently lives with his wife and three children in Mobile, Alabama.

Awards and honors

*''Alabama Moon'' (2006) **American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults ** E. B. White Read Aloud Award, 2007 **ALLA Young Adult Book Award **Auckland Council librarian's choice ** SIBA Young Adult Book Award, 2007 **Parents' Choice Award Winner ** California Young Reader Medal ** Illinois Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Choice Award Master List **Indiana Young Hoosier Award Master List **James Medison University Book Award List: Best Books For Young Adults **Maine Student Book Award Master List **Missouri Truman Readers Award Master List **Massachusetts Children’s Book Award Master List for 2011 ** Volunteer State Book Award Nominees **Wildcat Book Award Nominees 2008-2009 **

Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis The (German Youth Literature Award) is an annual award established in 1956 by the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth to recognise outstanding works of children's and young adult literature. It is Germany's only ...

, children's book nominees 2009 *''Dirt Road Home'' (2010) **ALLA Young Adult Book Award **The Cybils Awards Master List *''Fourmile'' (2012) **Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year 2013 **2014-2015 Indian Paintbrush Nominee Titles **Kirkus Best Teen Books of the Year **Indiana Young Hoosier Award Master List **Maine Student Book Award Master List **2014-2015 MASL Readers Awards Preliminary Nominees **The Mobile Bay Art & Music Awards (MODDYs) Master list **South Carolina Children's Book Award Master List 2014 ** Vermont Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award Master List

Published works

Novels and collections

*''Alabama Moon'', Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006 *''Dirt Road Home'', Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010 *''Fourmile'', Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2012 *''Among the Swamp People'',

The University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, the Capstone, or Bama) is a public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the old ...

Press, 2015 *''Terror at Bottle Creek'', Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2016 *''Hideout'', Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2017 *''Deep Water'', Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2018 *''Bay Boy,'' The University of Alabama Press, 2019 *''Beast'', Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2020 *''The Forgotten Coast,'' (as Albert Key) Penfish Press, 2021 *''The Black Hat and Other Tales of Horror,'' (as Albert Key) Penfish Press, 2021

Memoir, essays

* Swamp Writer series, Mobile Bay Magazine, August 2012 - June 2014 * Bay Boy series, Mobile Bay Magazine, July 2014

Screenplays

*''Alabama Moon'', Faulkner-McLean Productions, 2009 *''L.A. Dirt'', Tundra Films, 2014

References

External links

*
Watt Key
at Macmillan Publishers *
Alabama Moon Movie Official site
;Book reviews

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Decatur Daily ''The Decatur Daily'' is a daily (five days a week) newspaper serving Decatur, Alabama and the Tennessee Valley in the North Alabama area of the United States. As of September 30, 2006, it had an average daily circulation of 20,824 and a Sunda ...

'' ;Bibliography * {{DEFAULTSORT:Key, Watt 1970 births American children's writers Living people People from Baldwin County, Alabama Novelists from Alabama 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American novelists American male novelists 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American male writers