The Longest Swim

New York, NY—January 16, 2020—LEE & LOW BOOKS is excited to announce that Alana Tyson of Alexandria, Virginia, is the winner of the company’s twentieth annual New Voices Award. Her picture book manuscript, The Longest Swim, is the biography of William Goines and his journey to becoming the first African American Navy SEAL. Alana Tyson is a writer and entrepreneur from New York City who enjoys researching and writing stories about lesser-known historical figures. Tyson hopes that The Longest Swim will inspire young readers with its message about the power of persistence and show them that African American history is American history, and that African Americans’ contributions to the United States are plentiful and meaningful. Tyson will receive a prize of $2,000 and a publication contract.