Indiana Author Award

I was lucky enough to be named the regional winner of the 2010 Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana Author Award this past Saturday in a ceremony at the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library. I felt fortunate to have won, especially after meeting and talking with the two other finalists, Andrew Levy of Butler University and Colleen Coble.

Here's what the news release had to say:

Three authors with ties to Indiana were awarded the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Award this evening at a gala awards dinner at the Central Library in downtown Indianapolis. Announced as a winner earlier this summer, Indiana resident Scott Russell Sanders was presented his award as the National Author recipient, while Ray Boomhower received the Regional Author award and Greg Schwipps received the Emerging Author award.

Public nominations were submitted from across the state and eligibility included any published writer who was born in Indiana or has lived in Indiana for at least five years. An eight-member, statewide Award Panel selected the winners in three categories and finalists from the pool of nominated authors:

• National Author - $10,000 prize: a writer with Indiana ties, but whose work is known and read throughout the country. National authors were evaluated on their entire body of work. Winner: Scott Russell Sanders

• Regional Author - $7,500 prize: A writer who is well-known and respected throughout the state of Indiana. Regional authors were evaluated on their entire body of work. Winner: Ray Boomhower; Finalists: Colleen Coble and Andrew Levy

• Emerging Author - $5,000 prize: A writer with only one published book. Emerging authors were evaluated on their single published work. Winner: Greg Schwipps; Finalists: Douglas Light and Micah Ling

In its second year, this award recognizes the contributions of Indiana authors to the literary landscape in Indiana and across the nation. The Award is a program of the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library Foundation, and is funded by the generosity of The Glick Fund, a fund of Central Indiana Community Foundation.

“Through the generosity of the Glick’s, the Indiana Authors Award has become an exciting and important program for our city and state,” said Danny R. Dean, President of the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library Foundation. “We are grateful for the Glick’s and our sponsors, as well as our Award Panel, who reviewed a significant number of nominations and books in a short time and then faced some tough decisions. On behalf of the Library Foundation, congratulations to all the nominees and winners!”

National Author recipient Sanders had congratulatory remarks, as well. “The other two winners of Glick Indiana Authors Awards this year have enriched our understanding of life in this state – Ray Boomhower through his wide-ranging historical writing and Greg Schwipps through his compelling first novel,” said Sanders. “I am delighted to join them, as well as the other finalists and the hundreds of guests here at the Central Library, in celebrating Indiana’s literary tradition. We’ve been drawn together by a love of books and by a commitment to public libraries – not only books but also music, films, photographs, and other expressions of human creativity are freely available to anyone who chooses to read or listen or look.”