4th ANNUAL FLORIDA BOOK AWARDS ANNOUNCE BEST OF 2009

4th ANNUAL FLORIDA BOOK AWARDS ANNOUNCE BEST OF 2009


TALLAHASSEE, Fla.— Its fourth set of competitions completed, Florida Book Awards announces winners for seven categories of books published in 2009. “The culture of books in the Sunshine State continues to prosper,” notes FBA Director Wayne A. Wiegand. “These FBA winners clearly prove it.”

The Florida Book Awards –the nation’s most comprehensive state book awards program– was established in 2006 to recognize, honor, and celebrate the best Florida literature published the previous year. It is coordinated by The Florida State University Libraries, and co-sponsored by the Florida Center for the Book, State Library and Archives of Florida, Florida Historical Society, Florida Humanities Council, Florida Literary Arts Coalition, Florida Library Association, “Just Read, Florida!,” Florida Family Literacy Initiative, the Program in American and Florida Studies at Florida State University, Florida Reading Association, Florida Association for Media in Education, Florida Center for the Literary Arts, the Friends of FSU Libraries, and Florida Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America.

Submissions were read by seven juries of three members each nominated from across the state by cosponsoring organizations. Jurors were authorized to select up to five medalists (including one winner and one runner-up) in each of the seven categories.

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

Gold Medal Winner: Joan Hiatt Harlow, Secret of the Night Ponies


FLORIDA NONFICTION

Gold Medal Winner: Jack E. Davis, An Everglades Providence: Marjory Stoneman Douglas and the American Environmental Century

Silver Medal Winner: Carlton Ward Jr., Florida Cowboys

Bronze Medal Winner: Todd T. Turrell, Naples Waterfront – Changes in Time

GENERAL FICTION

Gold Medal Winner: N M Kelby, A Travel Guide for Reckless Hearts

Silver Medal Winner: Janet Burroway, Bridge of Sand

Bronze Medal Winner: Ana Menendez, The Last War

Bronze Medal Winner: A. Manette Ansay, Good Things I Wish You

Bronze Medal Winner: Michael Lister, Double Exposure


POETRY

Gold Medal Winner: Campbell McGrath, Shannon

Silver Medal Winner: Denise Duhamel, Ka-Ching!

Bronze Medal Winner: Jesse Millner, Neighborhoods of My Past Sorrow

Bronze Medal Winner: Peter Meinke, Lines from Neuchatel


POPULAR FICTION

Gold Medal Winner: Glynn Marsh Alam, Moon Water Madness

Silver Medal Winner: Diane A. S. Stuckart, Portrait of a Lady: A Leonardo DaVinci Mystery

Bronze Medal Winner: Jonathon King, The Styx

Bronze Medal Winner: Chris Kuzneski, The Lost Throne

Bronze Medal Winner: Tim Dorsey, Nuclear Jellyfish


SPANISH LANGUAGE BOOK

Gold Medal Winner: Juan Cueto-Roig, Veintiún cuentos concisos

Silver Medal Winner: José Alvarez, Frank País y la revolución cubana

YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE


Gold Medal Winner: Alex Sanchez, Bait

Silver Medal Winner: Rick Yancey, The Monstrumologist


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Authors by Region

Boca Raton — Jonathon King

Fort Myers — Jesse Millner

Gainesville –Jack E. Davis, Rick Yancey

Loxahatchee/Wellington — Diane Stuckart, Jose Alvarez

Miami — Alex Sanchez, Ana Menendez, Campbell McGrath, Denise Duhamel, Juan Cueto-Roig

Naples — Todd Turrell

Palm Beach — A. Manette Ansay

Sarasota — N.M. Kelby

St. Petersberg — Peter Meinke

Tallahassee — Glynn Marsh Alam, Janet Burroway

Tampa — Carlton Ward Jr., Chris Kuzneski, Tim Dorsey

Venice — Joan Hiatt Harlow

Wewahitchka — Michael Lister

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The seven Gold Medal Winners will also be recognized on March 24 at the Historical and Cultural Awards Ceremony sponsored by the State of Florida’s Division of Cultural Affairs at the R.A. Gray Building in Tallahassee. All awardees will be recognized at the Florida Library Association Conference Banquet on April 8 in Orlando. For information, contact CMC & Associates at Mwozniak@cmc-associates.com.

To learn more about Florida Book Awards, visit: http://floridabookawards.lib.fsu.edu or http://floridabookawards.wordpress.com/.


Wayne A. Wiegand, Director

Gloria Colvin, Chair, Executive Committee

Florida Book Awards

Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL 32306-1821

850-645-1680



NOTE: Jose Alvarez winner of the silver medal award presented his book, Frank País y la revolución cubana in Zu Galeria last August 20th.