I met Grant Oliphant at a Pittsburgh event in 2017. During our first conversation, we bonded over a shared love of fiction, words, and books. Grant had previously written two novels, both of which he had pursued publication for — when publishing was a very different business.
Most people in Pittsburgh who know Grant know him as the president of the Heinz Endowments, a major American foundation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Known for his strong stands on social justice and community issues, he chairs the board of the national Center for Effective Philanthropy and speaks, writes, and blogs frequently about social issues and the challenges facing civil society in today’s America. Through the Endowments, he is also host of a podcast, “We Can Be,” which tells the stories of men and women working to uplift their communities.
I think most of the people who know Grant in that capacity might be surprised by his passion for fiction and his talent as a first-rate storyteller. And by Ring of Years, a complex psychological thriller about one women’s pursuit of truth and justice to save an abducted young girl from the fate she herself survived years before.
“Ring of Years” is his debut novel, and marks his newest title: novelist. It’s also the first time Exciting Press has worked so closely with a local author, and I couldn’t be more excited about both.