If you're a mystery writer, you can win the Edgar Award. If you're a Christian author, you can win the Christy. If you're really lucky, you can win a Nobel (and I mean, really lucky). But up until now, there hasn't been an award to celebrate LDS fiction.
I say "up until now" because now there is.
Drumroll, please, as we proudly announce -- The Whitney Awards.
Sponsored by LDStorymakers, the Whitney Awards will celebrate the very best in LDS fiction, from new authors to those more established, in several different genres. You as the reading public will be able to nominate your favorite books. An Academy of publishers, bookstore owners, and authors has been selected to run the proceedings. The winners will be announced at the close of the 2008 LDStorymakers Writers Conference, and they will receive a beautiful statue that will make their friends and fellow authors jealous. Any book published in the year 2007 is eligible. (Man, I wish I had a book coming out this year . . . I'll just sit and enjoy the festivities.)
Why "The Whitney?" Orson F. Whitney, grandson of Newel K. Whitney and also a member of the Twelve, prophesied that we would yet have Miltons and Shakespeares of our own, referring to the LDS people. We thought it fitting to honor those authors who have worked hard at perfecting their craft with an award that carries the name of Whitney.
There are still some problems with LDS fiction. (Stay tuned for my blog on that later today.) But we are working harder, researching more, editing more carefully and using more imagination than ever before since the industry began. There are now books to fit nearly every reading style, and I'm excited at the direction LDS fiction is taking.
Won't you take a moment to jot down your favorite new releases and head on over to the Whitney site to nominate them? You can also read the rules and regulations on the site and find out who's involved. This is such a fabulous endeavor -- I'm thrilled that I sometimes get to go hang out with the people who thought this all up.
2 comments:
Wow. Thank you so much for coming to my blog. I am totally going to go buy one of your books today. A published author coming to my site??? I feel unworthy! Just kidding... sorta. Anyway. I am really going to read one of your books. I LOVE historical fiction. And LOVE it if they have an LDS theme as well.
I'll be back here!!!
I'm really excited to see the Whitney Awards make a big splash for LDS fiction. It's been a long time coming.
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