For Immediate Press Release

Founder and Editor, Colin Mustful
editor@historythroughfiction.com
historythroughfiction.com
651.788.0055

Minneapolis, MN, June 15, 2023

Independent Minnesota-based press, History Through Fiction, announces a new literary diversity initiative, the Reclaiming Mni Sota Indigenous Writers Grant. The grant will support the writing of an enrolled member of a tribal community within Minnesota.

"I strongly believe actions like this grant help break down the legacy of historical and present wrongs perpetuated against Native peoples," says History Through Fiction founder and editor Colin Mustful. "At HTF, we believe that by giving financial support to Indigenous storytellers, we empower them to write their own stories, thereby reclaiming the narrative."

The inaugural grant timeline coincides with the release of History Through Fiction's latest title, a work of alternate history by Mustful. Reclaiming Mni Sota reimagines the U.S.–Dakota War of 1862 and invites readers to question how things might have ended differently.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate a clear intention to share narratives, fiction or nonfiction, about the past through creative writing. The recipient will be selected by guest judges Erika T. Wurth, CMarie Fuhrman, and Linda G. Johnston. Once the successful applicant has been awarded, they may use the award toward the advancement of their creative writing projects, education, and career.

The press has pledged to contribute $1 from the pre-sale and sale of every copy of Reclaiming Mni Sota through 2023 to the grant.

History Through Fiction

Founded in 2019 by Minnesota author and historian Colin Mustful, History Through Fiction is an independent press publishing high-quality fiction that is rooted in accurate and detailed historical research. The mission of History Through Fiction is to provide readers with a compelling narrative that also acts as a valuable historical resource. Our books, though fictionalized, include important primary and secondary source materials that are disclosed to readers through a variety of traditionally nonfiction elements such as footnotes, endnotes, or a bibliography. This way, readers may enjoy a fictional narrative while also examining the historical foundation upon which that narrative is based. By combining elements of fiction and nonfiction, our authors provide readers with an immersive experience that is both entertaining and educational.

Reclaiming Mni Sota Indigenous Writers Grant

In conjunction with his forthcoming novel, Reclaiming Mni Sota, author Colin Mustful, and his press, History Through Fiction, will award one Indigenous writer a $10,000 grant to pursue the advancement of their creative writing projects, education, and career. To be considered for the grant, eligible applicants must submit proof of membership to a federally-recognized Minnesota Indian community, a personal essay, and a writing sample.

“With a historian’s eye for detail and a novelist’s empathy for individuals, this wonderful novel suggests an alternative ending to the 1862 war, one that inspires contemplation about what could have happened and what did.”

L I N D A U L L E S E I T , T H E R I V E R R E M E M B E R S