  Using large-scale numerical simulations we studied the kinetics of the 2d
q-Potts model for q > 4 after a shallow subcritical quench from a
high-temperature homogeneous configuration. This protocol drives the system
across a first-order phase transition. The initial state is metastable after
the quench and, for final temperatures close to the critical one, the system
escapes from it via a multi-nucleation process. The ensuing relaxation towards
equilibrium proceeds through coarsening with competition between the equivalent
ground states. This process has been analyzed for different choices of the
parameters such as the number of states and the final quench temperature.
