Watt Key
{{Short description |American author (born 1970)}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Watt Key
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| image = File:Author WikiWeb2 Watt Key.jpg
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| birth_name = Albert Watkins Key, Jr.
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|10|28}}
| birth_place = Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S.
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| occupation = Writer
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| nationality = {{flag|United States|name=American}}
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| education = Birmingham–Southern College (BA)
Spring Hill College (MBA)
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| notableworks = Alabama Moon ({{ISBN|978-0-374-30184-2}}, 1st edition hardback){{cite book|url= https://archive.org/details/alabamamoon00keyw/page/294|title= Alabama Moon by Watt Key|publisher= Farrar, Straus and Giroux|isbn= 978-0-3743-0184-2|page= [https://archive.org/details/alabamamoon00keyw/page/294 294]|year= 2006}}
Dirt Road Home,{{cite book|url= https://archive.org/details/dirtroadhome00keyw/page/240|title= Dirt Road Home by Watt Key|publisher= Square Fish|isbn= 978-0-3743-0863-6|page= [https://archive.org/details/dirtroadhome00keyw/page/240 240]|year= 2011}}
Fourmile{{cite book |title= Fourmile by Watt Key | publisher= Square Fish |isbn= 978-1-2500-3995-8 | page= 256 |year= 2014}}
| spouse = Katie Feore Key (1994–present)
| partner =
| children = Adele Key, Albert Key, and Mary Michael Key
| relatives =
| awards = E.B. White Read-Aloud Award (2007){{cite web |url= http://www.librarything.com/bookaward/E.B.+White+Read+Aloud+Award+by+the+Association+of+Booksellers+for+Children|title= Book awards: E.B. White Read Aloud Award by the Association of Booksellers for Children: Alabama Moon by Watt Key| access-date=25 February 2015 |work= LibraryThing}}{{cite web |url= http://www.duluth.lib.mn.us/kids/books-for-kids/award-winning-books/ebwhite/|title= E.B. White Read Aloud Award- 2007 Winner for Older Readers: Alabama Moon by Watt Key| access-date=25 February 2015 |work= Duluth Public Library}}
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{{Portal|Children's literature}}
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.{{cite web|last=Rigby|first=Jessica Sawyer|url=http://www.al.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2014/07/alabama_moon.html|title=Red Clay Readers to examine Watt Key's 'Alabama Moon'|date=7 July 2014|access-date=27 February 2015|work=Alabama Media Group}}{{cite web|last=Rigby|first=Jessica Sawyer|url=http://www.richlandlibrary.com/search-bb?query=Key%2C%20Watt&search_type=1&AU=Key%2C%20Watt|title=Author- Key, Watt|access-date=27 February 2015|work=Richland Library}} A resident of Alabama,{{cite web|url=http://www.mobilecountyal.gov/news/news.html?view=full&news=233&cat=News%20and%20Announcements|title=Prize Winning Alabama Author On Talk-Circuit Thursday|date= 4 September 2012|access-date=27 February 2015|work=Mobile County Alabama}} his debut novel Alabama Moon{{cite web|url=http://library.minlib.net/record=b2433238|title=Alabama Moon- Watt Key|access-date=27 February 2015|work=Minuteman Library Network}} was published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux 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.[http://parentschoice.org/product.cfm?product_id=21472&award=AW&from=Award%20Winners%20:%20Fiction&urllist=21472,21642,21487,21615,21676,21616,21582,21674,21675,21667,21452&fromurl=get_direct_level.cfm?cat=c_fic&award=AW&awdyr=2006&awdse=b&product_code=p_boo Alabama Moon], Parents' Choice. Retrieved 2008-08-05.{{Dead link|date=May 2020}}Paddock, Jennifer. (June 26, 2007) [http://gardenandgun.com/stories/city_portrait/writers_in_residence-37 Writers in residence] Garden & Gun Magazine. Retrieved 2008-08-05. Alabama Moon has been translated and published in eight languages. In 2015 Alabama Moon was listed by TIME Magazine as one of the top 100 young-adult books of all time.[https://time.com/collection/100-best-ya-books/], TIME Magazine. Retrieved 2015-01-10.{{cite web|url=http://www.sporcle.com/games/Almasa/times-100-best-young-adult-books/results|title=Time's 100 Best Young-Adult Books- Results: Watt Key- Alabama Moon|access-date=27 February 2015|work=Sporcle, Inc.}}
Alabama Moon was made into a 2009 feature film starring John Goodman.{{cite web|last=Scott|first=Mike|url=http://www.nola.com/movies/index.ssf/2011/05/locally_shot_alabama_moon_an_e.html|title=Locally shot 'Alabama Moon' an earnest, but clunky, adaptation|date=5 May 2011|access-date=25 February 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.pageandpalette.com/event/alabama-moon-dvd-event|title=Alabama Moon DVD event|access-date=27 February 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.movieweb.com/movie/alabama-moon|title=Alabama Moon (2011)|access-date=27 February 2015|work=Movieweb}}{{cite web|url=http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/81901|title=2009 World Premiere of "Alabama Moon" at Alabama Theatre, Birmingham, AL|access-date=27 February 2015|work=Brown Paper Tickets}}
Personal life
{{BLP unsourced section|date=October 2021}}
Watt Key is a graduate of Bayside Academy in Daphne, Alabama and received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Birmingham–Southern College in Birmingham, Alabama. He earned his Masters of Business Administration from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama. While working as a computer programmer, he began submitting novels to publishers in New York City. When he was 34, he sold his debut novel, Alabama Moon, to publisher Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
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{{cite web|url=https://theabfc.wordpress.com/the-eb-white-read-aloud-awards/past-eb-white-award-winners/#2007|title=2008 ALA Book Awards- Best Books For Young Adults 2008- Fiction: Alabama Moon by Watt Key|access-date=25 February 2015}}
- E. B. White Read Aloud Award, 2007{{cite web|url=http://www.bookweb.org/membership/ABC/EBWhitewinners|title=E. B. White Read Aloud Award Winners: Alabama Moon by Watt Key|work=American Booksellers Association|access-date=26 February 2015}}{{cite web|url=https://theabfc.wordpress.com/the-eb-white-read-aloud-awards/past-eb-white-award-winners/#2007|title=Winner of the 2007 E.B. White Read Aloud Award For Older Readers: Alabama Moon by Watt Key|access-date=25 February 2015}}
- ALLA Young Adult Book Award{{cite web|url=http://www.jclc.org/resources/MaterialsLists/aaa/ya.aspx|title=Alabama Author Awards from the Alabama Library Association Young Adult: Watt Key. Dirt Road Home (2012) and Alabama Moon (2008)|work=Jefferson County Library Cooperative|access-date=27 February 2015}}
- Auckland Council librarian's choice{{cite web|url=http://www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/EN/kids/Newandrecommended/Kidsbooks/Booklists/Pages/Librarianschoice.aspx|title=Librarian's choice: Alabama Moon - Watt Key|work=Auckland Council|access-date=26 February 2015}}
- SIBA Young Adult Book Award, 2007{{cite web|url=http://www.sibaweb.com/siba-news/34-siba-news/60-2007-siba-book-award-winners|title=2007 SIBA Book Award Winners: Alabama Moon by Watt Key|work=SIBA|access-date=25 February 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://slspublish.bits.baseview.com/area/323121644877834.php|title=Hart's book among finalists for award: Alabama Moon by Watt Key|date=13 May 2007|work=Salisbury Post|access-date=27 February 2015}}
- Parents' Choice Award Winner{{cite web|url=http://www.parents-choice.org/product.cfm?product_id=21472&StepNum=1&award=aw|title=Parents' Choice Awards: Books: Fiction- Alabama Moon, Fall 2006 Fiction|access-date=25 February 2015}}
- California Young Reader Medal{{cite web|url=http://www.cityoforange.org/depts/library/childrens_services/good_books_to_read/california_young_reader_medal.asp|title=California Young Reader Medal: Fiction- 7th-12th Grade TEEN- Key, Watt. Alabama Moon|work=Orange Public Library|access-date=25 February 2015}}
- Illinois Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Choice Award Master List{{cite web|url=http://www.rebeccacaudill.org/images/pdf/member-resources/ultimatelist.pdf|title=Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award- Cumulative Master List 1988-2015: Alabama Moon by Watt Key (2009)|work=Rebecca Caudill|access-date=28 February 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://web.d62.org/steigerwaldh/steigerwaldh/Bookclub_files/2009%20caudill%20list.pdf|title=Alabama Moon by Watt Key|access-date=26 February 2015}}
- Indiana Young Hoosier Award Master List{{cite web|url=http://www.imcpl.org/cgi-bin/fullbib.pl?bibno=1075579|title=Alabama moon / Watt Key: Awards note: Young Hoosier Book Award, 2008-2009, 6-8 Nominee|work=The Indianapolis Public Library|access-date=25 February 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://indiana.statebookawards.com/html/yhba_nominees__2008-2009_6-8_m.html|title=Indiana Young Hoosier Award Nominees 2008-2009- Middle Grades 6-8 Books: Alabama Moon|work=School Book Center, Inc.|access-date=25 February 2015}}{{cite web|url=https://www.myhaikuclass.com/showcase/fcvlibrarymediacenter/cms_page/view/27484|title=Young Hoosier Book Award: Key, Watt. Alabama Moon|work=FCV Library Media Center|access-date=26 February 2015}}
- James Medison University Book Award List: Best Books For Young Adults{{cite web|url=http://www.jmu.edu/coe/etmc/wm_library/Best_Books_for_Young_Adults_Web.pdf|title=Book Award List: Best Books For Young Adults: Alabama Moon - Watt Key|work=James Medison University|page=14|access-date=27 February 2015}}
- Maine Student Book Award Master List{{cite web|url=http://efolio.umeedu.maine.edu/~masl/msba/pastlists.html|title=Maine Student Book Award- 2007-2008 Reading List: Key, Watt. Alabama Moon. Farrar, Straus, & Giroux.|access-date=26 February 2015|archive-date=15 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110815124222/http://efolio.umeedu.maine.edu/~masl/msba/pastlists.html|url-status=dead}}
- Missouri Truman Readers Award Master List{{cite web|url=http://www.maslonline.org/?page=truman_200809_nom|title=2008-2009 Truman Final Nominees List: Key, Watt. Alabama Moon. Square Fish.|work=The Missouri Association of School Librarians|access-date=26 February 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.joplinpubliclibrary.org/teens/booklists/truman.php|title=The Truman Readers Award Nominees for 2008-2009: Alabama Moon by Watt Key|work=Joplin Public Library|access-date=26 February 2015}}
- Massachusetts Children’s Book Award Master List for 2011{{cite web|url=https://www.salemstate.edu/assets/documents/ACA_sohs/2010_2011_Master_List_and_Grade_Level_Guide.pdf|title=Key, W. (2006). Alabama Moon. (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)|access-date=25 February 2015}}
- Volunteer State Book Award Nominees{{cite web|url=http://www.rcstn.net/sms.library/volunteer_state_book_award_nominees|title=Volunteer State Book Award Nominees: Key, Watt. Alabama Moon.|access-date=26 February 2015}}
- Wildcat Book Award Nominees 2008-2009{{cite web|url=http://www.greenville.k12.sc.us/hms/media/wildcatbooks.asp|title=Alabama Moon - Watt Key|work=Hillcrest Middle School|access-date=26 February 2015}}
- Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis, children's book nominees 2009[https://web.archive.org/web/20101024034922/http://www.djlp.jugendliteratur.org/2009/nominierungen_kinderbuch-10.html Nominierungen 2009 - Kinderbuch] (in German). Retrieved 6 March 2025.
- Dirt Road Home (2010)
- ALLA Young Adult Book Award
- The Cybils Awards Master List{{cite web|url=http://www.cybils.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Cybils2010Flyer.pdf|title=Young Adult Fiction: Dirt Road Home by Watt Key|access-date=27 February 2015}}
- Fourmile (2012)
- Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year 2013{{cite web |url= https://s3.amazonaws.com/bankstreet_web/media/filer_public/filer_public/2013/06/19/2013twelve-to-fourteen.pdf|title= Best Children's Books of the Year 2013: Fourmile by Watt Key| access-date=3 March 2015 }}
- 2014-2015 Indian Paintbrush Nominee Titles{{cite web|url=https://wyla.memberclicks.net/assets/docs/Bookawards/IndianPaintbrush/2015%20indian%20paintbrush%20packet%20docx%20.pdf|title=2014-2015 Indian Paintbrush Nominee Titles: Fourmile- Watt Key|work=Indian Paintbrush Book Award|access-date=27 February 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.ccgov.net/602/Indian-Paintbrush-Book-Award-Book|title=Indian Paintbrush Book Award Book Lists: Key, Watt- Fourmile|work=Campbell County Library|access-date=27 February 2015}}
- Kirkus Best Teen Books of the Year{{cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/issue/2012-best-of/section/teen/?page=6|title=Best Teen Books of 2012: Fourmile by Watt Key|work=Kirkus|access-date=3 March 2015}}
- Indiana Young Hoosier Award Master List{{cite web|url=http://www.greencastle.k12.in.us/schools/greencastle-middle-school/library-media-center/yhb-nominees|title=YHB Nominees: Fourmile by Watt Key|work=Greencastle Community Schools|access-date=27 February 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.mybcpl.org/documents/resources/YHBA_Nominees_2014-15.pdf|title=Announcing the 2014-2015 Young Hoosier Book Award Nominees- Middle Grades: Fourmile by Watt Key|access-date=27 February 2015}}
- Maine Student Book Award Master List{{cite web|url=http://msba.umeedu.maine.edu/sites/default/files/2014ballot.pdf|title=Maine Student Book Award Ballot 2013-2014: Fourmile By Watt Key|access-date=26 February 2015}}
- 2014-2015 MASL Readers Awards Preliminary Nominees{{cite web|url=http://www.maslonline.org/?page=1415PrelimNoms|title=2014-2015 MASL Readers Awards Preliminary Nominees: Fourmile by Watt Key|work=The Missouri Association of School Librarians|access-date=26 February 2015}}
- The Mobile Bay Art & Music Awards (MODDYs) Master list{{cite web|url=http://modmobilian.com/2013/01/2012-mobile-bay-book-of-the-year-moddys/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130112010932/http://modmobilian.com/2013/01/2012-mobile-bay-book-of-the-year-moddys/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=January 12, 2013|title=The Mobile Bay Art & Music Awards (MODDYs): Fourmile by Watt Key|work=Mod Mobilian|access-date=26 February 2015}}
- South Carolina Children's Book Award Master List 2014{{cite web|url=http://www.scasl.net/assets/final%202014%20-%202015%20jba%20activity%20guides%20-%20pdf.pdf|title=2014-15 SC Junior Book Award Nominees: Fourmile by Watt Key|work=South Carolina Association of School Librarians|page=8|access-date=27 February 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.richlandlibrary.com/kids/south-carolina-junior-book-award-nominees-2014-2015|title=South Carolina Junior Book Award Nominees 2014-2015: Fourmile by Watt Key|work=Richland Library|access-date=27 February 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.lexrich5.org/m/content.cfm?subpage=92592|title=2014-15 SC Junior Book Award Nominees: Fourmile by Watt Key|work=School World|access-date=27 February 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.dillon.k12.sc.us/JVM/SCJBA/southcarolinajuniorbookaward.htm|title=South Carolina Junior Book Award Program 2014-2015: Fourmile by Watt Key|work=Dillon Middle School|access-date=27 February 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.berkeley.k12.sc.us/BerkeleyMiddle.cfm?subpage=119451|title=South Carolina Junior Book Award Nominees: Fourmile by Watt Key|work=Berkeley Middle School|access-date=27 February 2015}}
- Vermont Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award Master List{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/fourmile0000keyw|title=The 2013-2014 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award List: Key, Watt. Fourmile|work=State of Vermont Department of Libraries|isbn=978-0-3743-5095-6|url-access=registration|access-date=25 February 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://libraries.vermont.gov/sites/libraries/files/CBEC/BookAwards/DCF/2013-2014/DCFChecklist13-14.pdf|title=Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Master List 2013–2014: Fourmile, Watt Key|work=Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award List|access-date=25 February 2015}}
Published works
=Novels and collections=
- Alabama Moon, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006{{cite book|author=Watt Key|title=Alabama Moon|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yslj5FuEOOMC|date=3 August 2010|publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)|isbn=978-1-4299-8765-3}}{{cite web |last= Newberry |first= Jenny |url= http://education.seattlepi.com/main-characters-book-alabama-moon-6719.html|title= Who Are the Main Characters in the Book "Alabama Moon"?| access-date=25 February 2015 |work= Film Festivals portal & social network}}
- Dirt Road Home, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010{{cite book|author=Watt Key|title=Dirt Road Home|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=inSluQAACAAJ|date=6 December 2011|publisher= Farrar, Straus and Giroux |isbn=978-0-3126-7435-9}}{{cite book|author=Watt Key|title=Dirt Road Home (eBook)|url=http://readers.indiebound.com/ebook/9781429933353|date=6 December 2011|publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux|isbn=978-1-4299-3335-3}}{{cite book|author=Watt Key|title=Dirt Road Home (Hardcover)|url=http://www.squarebooks.com/book/9780374308636|date=6 December 2011|publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux}}
- Fourmile, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2012{{cite book |url= http://us.macmillan.com/fourmile/wattkey|title= Fourmile, Watt Key|isbn= 978-0-8173-1885-7|date= September 2015| access-date=27 February 2015 |publisher= Macmillan Publishers |last1= Key|first1= Watt}}{{cite web |last= Maloney| first= Jenny|url= http://www.criminalelement.com/blogs/2012/09/fresh-meat-fourmile-by-watt-key-jenny-maloney-thriller-traditional-kid-friendly-crime-animal-kingdom|title= Fresh Meat: Fourmile by Watt Key| access-date=27 February 2015 |work= CriminalElement.com}}
- Among the Swamp People, The University of Alabama Press, 2015{{cite book |url= http://www.uapress.ua.edu/product/Among-the-Swamp-People,6176.aspx|title= Among the Swamp People: Life in Alabama's Mobile-Tensaw River Delta by Watt Key|isbn= 978-0-8173-1885-7|date= September 2015| access-date=27 February 2015 |work= The University of Alabama Press |last1= Key|first1= Watt}}
- Terror at Bottle Creek, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2016{{cite book|author=Watt Key|title= Terror at Bottle Creek|url=http://us.macmillan.com/terroratbottlecreek/wattkey|date=January 2016|publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux|isbn=9780--3743-7430-3}}
- 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{{cite journal |url= http://www.mobilebaymag.com/Mobile-Bay/February-2013/Swamp-Writer-The-Trailer-Park/|title= Swamp Writer: The Trailer Park- text by Watt Key, illustration by Kelan Mercer |issue= February 2013| access-date=7 March 2015 |journal= Mobile Bay Magazine}}
- Bay Boy series, Mobile Bay Magazine, July 2014{{cite journal |url= http://www.mobilebaymagdigital.com/mobilebay/august_2014?pg=10#pg76|title= A kid's best friend- text by Watt Key |issue= August 2014| page= 76| access-date=7 March 2015 |journal= Mobile Bay Magazine}}
=Screenplays=
- Alabama Moon, Faulkner-McLean Productions, 2009{{cite web |url= http://www.dove.org/review/8522-alabama-moon/|title= Alabama Moon: Movie Synopsis| access-date=27 February 2015 |work= The Dove Foundation}}{{cite web |url= http://moviespictures.org/biography/Key,_Watt|title= Key, Watt Biography | access-date=27 February 2015 |work= MoviesPictures.org}}{{cite web |url= http://www.earlyword.com/books-movies-2011/|title= Books to Movies & TV in 2011- Movie Title: Alabama Moon, Director: Tim McCanlies |date= 23 December 2011| access-date=27 February 2015 |work= EarlyWordBooks.com}}
- L.A. Dirt, Tundra Films, 2014{{cite web|title= L.A. Dirt (2014)- 101 min: January 2014 (USA) | website=IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2262044/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1|access-date=6 March 2015}}
References
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
External links
- {{official website }}
- [http://us.macmillan.com/author/wattkey Watt Key] at Macmillan Publishers
- {{IMDb name| 1300155}}
- [http://www.alabamamoonthemovie.net/en/novel.php Alabama Moon Movie Official site]
;Book reviews
- [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F02E1D9153FF932A25751C0A9619C8B63&n=Top%2FFeatures%2FBooks%2FBook%20Reviews], The New York Times
- [http://www.booklistonline.com/default.aspx?page=show_product&pid=1798884], Booklist Online
- [http://legacy.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/books/060730/book2.shtml], Decatur Daily
;Bibliography
- {{LCAuth|n2005074713|Watt Key|3|}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Key, Watt}}
Category:American children's writers
Category:People from Baldwin County, Alabama
Category:Novelists from Alabama
Category:20th-century American novelists
Category:21st-century American novelists
Category:American male novelists