University Press of Florida (UPF) is pleased to announce “Florida Editions,” a new book series that recovers literary works of special significance to the state, reviving them for modern audiences.
Through re-releases of works written in Florida, about Florida, or by Florida authors, with contextual forewords by contemporary writers and scholars, this new series showcases the vibrant cultural landscape that has long existed in the state. The books in this series speak to Florida’s contributions to local, national, and international conversations about topics like art, the environment, and the complexities of human nature.
“We have seen a recent surge of new books on the market about or set in Florida—provocative, unsettling, and nuanced storytelling that probes the boundaries and explores the meaning of ‘place,’” says Carlynn Crosby, UPF acquiring editor for the series. “Some critics have described this as a ‘literary renaissance,’ but Florida has, in truth, maintained a long tradition as a site of inspiration for writers. The Florida Editions series seeks to demonstrate the longue durée of Florida’s literary influence and to inspire new joy for today’s readers.”
Some critics have described this as a “literary renaissance,” but Florida has, in truth, maintained a long tradition as a site of inspiration for writers.
Carlynn Crosby
Acquiring Editor for the “Florida Editions” Series
The first book in the series is South Moon Under by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, with a foreword by Lauren Groff, releasing in October 2026. Originally published in 1933, South Moon Under is the earliest novel by Rawlings and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Set in the Big Scrub of Florida, this often-overlooked novel tells a multigenerational tale of a rural family and depicts pioneer existence before Florida’s twentieth-century tourism and development.
A launch event is planned for the Florida Edition of South Moon Under at The Lynx Books (601 S Main St, Gainesville) in partnership with the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Society on Friday, October 16, at 6:00 p.m. Copies of the book, signed by Lauren Groff, will be available for purchase. For more information and to RSVP, attendees should visit The Lynx Books.
The second book to publish in the series will be Time of the Turtle by naturalist Jack Rudloe, with a foreword by historian Jack E. Davis and supplementary material from ecologist Matthew Kopka. First published in 1979, this work of natural history and literary merit was influential in encouraging interest in sea turtles and their struggling populations. The Florida Edition of Time of the Turtle is slated for release in March 2027.