Home › Grants › Find a Grant › Artists › Creation Grants › The People’s Choice Award ›
The People’s Choice Award: Emily Weinberg
80: Emily Weinberg
Create a middle-grade historical novel manuscript titled “The Education of King Tut”
Emily Weinberg is an Elementary Educator and author of THE FEATHER OF TRUTH.
Emily enjoys writing historical fiction and realistic fiction for older children. She believes that books are the easiest way to teleport to exotic places and explore the wonders of our world and worlds of the imagination. THE FEATHER OF TRUTH is based on actual historical events. It shows how religion was part of every aspect of life in ancient Egypt and guided society to live harmoniously with the gods and Pharaoh, believed to be god on earth. The setting of New Kingdom Egypt is a main character in the novel.
Emily has a BA in English Composition, an MA in Education, and is active in several writing groups. She loves studying mythology, world religions, and lost civilizations.
Emily Weinberg is an adventurer, scholar, house-builder, and teacher. She loves big, hands-on projects and getting messy. She lives with her family in Westminster West, Vermont.
Project description
I write to entertain, enrich, and educate. My goal with this project is to portray Tutankhamun as he grows up with struggles and emotions. This book will reveal much of his life, his choices, and his relationships. Tut is playful, young, and burdened with responsibilities. Tut will learn lessons about himself, his family, and his empire. The novel will explore the Armana Period, where his father instigated an unpopular religious revolution. Tut comes to power and reverses this order only to find that the priests and other advisors in charge have plans to end his dynasty. Tut will wrestle with his beliefs and what he wants as a leader. His demise will sadly be his untimely death. The story is based on actual historical events, showing a hostile political climate in a competitive society that parallels our times. Readers will identify with the character’s struggles with belonging, betrayal, and social inequality.
I aim to engage readers and promote a broad worldview. The ancient Egyptians were innovators, problem-solvers, and dreamers, and the study of ancient Egypt helps us understand the roots of our own lives. Life in ancient Egypt is rich in cultural details and amazing accomplishments. Students love to escape into this time period’s unique landscape, history, sophisticated culture, religions, and people. This novel will provide a learning experience for students to understand Tut’s life in history while being engaged in a high-interest adventure through exotic Egypt.
This is an important project because reading history helps us understand how events in the past made things the way they are today. Through these relative lessons, we learn about ourselves and others. I hope students will enjoy my books and become inspired to investigate world religions, wonder about types of government and leadership, and be fascinated by the world, complex civilizations, and diverse cultures. This book will share Tut’s fascinating life with readers around the world.
The Feather of Truth. Chapters 1-3 of my debut novel set in ancient Egypt, scheduled for publication in 2024 with Histria Kids.
August 22, 2023