The Post and Courier signs book deal with St. Martin’s Press

The Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.) has signed a contract with St. Martin's Press to publish a book chronicling the Emanuel AME Church shooting and its impact on Charleston and the victims' families.

The book will be a serious examination of the June 17, 2015, massacre of nine people at the historically black Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C. Just 36 hours after the shootings, relatives of the victims faced the accused killer, 21-year-old white supremacist Dylann Roof, in court. Each, in turn, forgave him. These families were quickly venerated worldwide on television and magazine covers, by politicians and thought leaders. President Obama eulogized Sen. Clementa Pinckney, the church's pastor, at his funeral and sang "Amazing Grace" into the podium mic. For millions, it's an awe-inspiring parable of faith and forgiveness. But the truth – and the journey to healing – is far more complex.

"We are honored to take on the task of helping the nation understand the events of June 17, 2015, and the impact of this tragedy on the victims' families and the community of Charleston," said P.J. Browning, publisher of The Post and Courier and president of the Evening Post Publishing Newspaper Group.

Evening Post Publishing Newspaper Group, a subsidiary of Evening Post Industries (EPI), a privately held national company with assets in media, marketing services and other industries, publishes daily and community newspapers, including The Post and Courier in Charleston S.C., winner of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.  Pulitzer Prize-winning Post and Courier reporter Jennifer Berry Hawes will be the author of the book, working with fellow Pulitzer winner Glenn Smith, watchdog and public service editor for The Post and Courier. The book will be edited by Tim Bartlett of St. Martin's Press.

The book is tentatively scheduled to be published in 2017. Any proceeds that Evening Post Newspapers or The Post and Courier may receive will be used to fund a minority journalism internship program.