Charleston, SC — Evening Post Books, the book publishing division of The Post and Courier, is proud to announce that author Margaret Seidler has been awarded a prestigious Phillis Wheatley Book Award for her memoir “Payne-ful” Business: Charleston’s Journey to Truth, which chronicles her discovery of a deeply personal and historically significant truth: her family’s ancestral ties to one of Charleston’s largest slave-trading dynasties.
Seidler’s win comes alongside another honor for Charleston’s community of public historians. Brian Sheffey, head of the International African American Museum’s Center for Family History, received the Phillis Wheatley Service Leadership Award for his dedication to genealogical research and public education. Their dual recognition illuminates Charleston’s growing leadership in uncovering historical truths and fostering healing through storytelling.
The Phillis Wheatley Book Awards honor exceptional contributions to African American literature, culture, and service. Seidler’s book was honored in the nonfiction category for its compelling blend of archival research, personal reckoning, and civic dialogue.
“This story chose me,” says Seidler. “As a native Charlestonian and descendant of slave traders, I felt a responsibility to shine a light on this history — not to condemn; rather, to understand. Only then can we begin the work of truth, repair, and reconciliation.”
“Payne-ful” Business follows Seidler’s journey as she uncovers the legacy of her ancestor, Nathaniel Heyward Payne — a prominent broker of the domestic slave trade — and builds relationships with the descendants of those her family once enslaved. Through this process, the book invites readers to explore the power of intergenerational truth-telling and repair.
“Margaret’s work is a powerful example of what happens when personal truth meets historical responsibility,” says Jacob Hollifield, Managing Editor at Evening Post Books. “We’re proud to have “Payne-ful” Business in our catalog and to see it honored with a Phillis Wheatley Award — not just for its literary merit, but for the conversations it continues to spark in Charleston and beyond.”
With both Seidler and Sheffey receiving national recognition, Charleston’s efforts to confront its past are gaining new momentum — and inspiring communities across the country to do the same. “Payne-ful” Business is available wherever books are sold. To learn more, visit www.payne-fulbusiness.com.
