Each year, North Carolina authors publish hundreds of books of all types, and for the past dozen seasons UNC-TV's local literary series "North Carolina Bookwatch" has brought the best and brightest of these Southern scribes to the small screen - shedding light on their works, their lives and the indelible imprint that the state has left upon them.

And now, "North Carolina Bookwatch" books even more great writers than ever before when the popular series embarks on its all-new 13th season, premiering Friday, Sept. 10, at 9:30 p.m., when celebrated novelist Lee Smith presents her latest collection of new and selected stories, "Mrs. Darcy & The Blue-Eyed Stranger."

A recognized master of the short story, Lee Smith has been compared to such luminaries as Katherine Ann Porter, Eudora Welty, and Flannery O'Connor. Smith is the author of 15 previous books of fiction - three collections of short stories and a dozen novels.

The New York Times best-selling author lives in Hillsborough.

During this season, guests will also include John Claude Bemis, Malinda Maynor Lowery, Nic Brown, Michele Young-Stone, Andrew Park, Kathy Reichs and Leonard Rogoff.

"Looking over the impressive lineup of our state's authors scheduled for the new season of 'North Carolina Bookwatch,' and thinking about the chance to visit with each of them, I can't wait for it all to begin," says "North Carolina Bookwatch" host, D.G. Martin.

For additional information about series guests and airdates, plus links to Bookwatch on Facebook, visit the website www.unctv.org/ncbookwatch.

Funding for the show is provided by UNC-TV members and by Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, Quail Ridge Books and Music and North Carolina Humanities Council.

For more information about "North Carolina Bookwatch" and UNC-TV's other original productions, visit the website at www.unctv.org.