Meet Grant Overstake
Grant Overstake is a Kansas-based author, journalist, and creative producer whose work explores personal growth, social justice, and emotional resilience—often through the lens of sport and coming-of-age. His novels and audio productions invite reflection, evoke emotion, and resonate across generations.
A graduate of the University of Kansas School of Journalism, Grant began his career as a sportswriter for The Wichita Eagle and later The Miami Herald, covering everything from high school championships to pro sports and long-form features.
Grant’s debut novel, Maggie Vaults Over the Moon, follows a Kansas farm girl who finds strength through pole vaulting after a family tragedy. It received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews, and Olympic gold medalist Katerina Stefanidi wrote the foreword to the second edition.
As an author and teaching artist, Grant has inspired thousands of students through writing workshops and school assemblies focused on resilience and grit.
His second novel, The Real Education of TJ Crowley, set in 1968 Wichita, confronts racism through the eyes of a white teenager coming to terms with hard truths. It was named Book of the Year by the Kansas Authors Club and adapted into a full-cast audio drama, which earned the 2025 Audie Award for Best Young Adult Audiobook.
Grant is the founder of Grain Valley Publishing, an independent press focused on emotionally rich, socially relevant storytelling. He lives in Wichita, Kansas, with his wife, Claire Overstake, an award-winning science educator. They share a deep love of family, the arts, and track and field.
Grant and Claire Overstake
Teaching Artist
Beyond his writing career, Overstake has also dedicated himself to teaching and community service. As a teaching artist, he has presented writing workshops and school assemblies on resilience and grit to thousands of students.
Masters Athletes
A lifelong athlete, Overstake continues to compete in masters athletics, alongside his wife, Claire, winning multiple awards at state and national levels. Together, they were honored with the "Couples Spirit Award" at the 2020 Virtual Worldwide Masters Athletic Challenge Championships.
ARISE Ensemble
Grant and Claire are also active members of the ARISE Ensemble, a multicultural choir promoting racial harmony and preserving the legacy of negro spirituals. The choir was founded by Josephine Brown, whose family inspired The Real Education of TJ Crowley.
Achievements & Awards
At 68, Grant Overstake has earned numerous awards and recognitions throughout his career in journalism, literature, and athletics.
Journalism Awards:
• William Randolph Hearst Award for Excellence in News Writing (1980): This prestigious award is often referred to as the "Pulitzer Prize for college journalists".
• Numerous Kansas Press Association Awards for excellence in writing: He won a dozen Awards of Excellence for his work as Editor of The Hillsboro Star Journal.
• Two Golden Wheat Awards from the Kansas Farm Bureau: These were awarded for his agriculture stories at The Hillsboro Star Journal.
Literary Awards (for The Real Education of TJ Crowley novel and its audio drama adaptation):
• Book of the Year by the Kansas Authors’ Club (2019). This award was specifically for The Real Education of TJ Crowley.
• "It Looks Like a Million" Design Award (Kansas Authors Club) (2019). This award honored the design of The Real Education of TJ Crowley.
• AudioFile Earphones Award for The Real Education of TJ Crowley: Coming of Age on the Redline audio drama adaptation.
• Audie Award for Best Young Adult Audiobook (2025) for TJ Crowley audio drama. This award is considered the highest honor in the audiobook industry.
• IPPY Award, Best Audiobook, Independent Publishers Association, 2025
Other Awards and Recognitions:
• USATF National Championships (Decathlon) 5th Place (All-America) (1977): This significant achievement occurred prior to his arrival on campus at the University of Kansas.
• University of Kansas Track and Field Team (Decathlon) (1978–1980): K-Club.
• William Booth Award (The Salvation Army) (1993): This award was given to both Grant and Claire Overstake for their leadership during the Great Mississippi River Flood of 1993.
• Third-place finish in the USA National Masters Decathlon Championships (2009): This was described as a "crowning achievement as a senior athlete".
• Couple’s Spirit Award from World Masters Athletics (2020): Awarded to Grant and Claire Overstake for their inspiring decathlon performances in the Worldwide Virtual Masters Athletic Challenge Championships.
Literary Recognition (Praise/Listings, not formal awards to the author):
• Maggie Vaults Over the Moon was praised by Kirkus Reviews as "a fine YA novel about perseverance in sports and in life".
• Maggie Vaults Over the Moon was listed as a "Cool Back to School Novel" by Publishers Weekly.
• Maggie Vaults Over the Moon was named one of the best Track & Field novels of all time by CITIUS Mag.
• The Real Education of TJ Crowley was selected as a National Book of the Month by Bookclubs.com.