Lawrence Sanders was born in 1920 in Brooklyn, New York. He earned a BA from Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana. He worked for a while at Macy's Department Store before joining the U.S. Marines. After his service, he was an editorial writer for a magazine before turning to writing novels full time at the age of 50. Lawrence became a highly successful writer of crime fiction, and author of some three dozen novels. He created the Arch McNally series about a Palm Beach private investigator, and his novels, The Anderson Tapes and The First Deadly Sin, were adapted into popular films.

Eligibility

Open to:

• Graduating high school senior from any Palm Beach or Martin County high school
• Interested in pursuing a career in creative writing
• Demonstrate financial need