As you browse your library or bookstore, you’ll see various logos on the covers of the books – winner of the Caldecott, winner of the Newbury, winner of the Christy – the list is endless. Jaime Egan did a marvelous series on the Caldecott Medal and another on the Newbury last year, and I thought it would be interesting to take a look at other awards that are available in the literary world. That way, when you see one of those logos, you’ll know why that book is being honored and what made it so special.
I’m going to start this series with the Whitney Awards. This is a brand new award for excellence in LDS fiction. Just being kicked off this year, only books by LDS authors published between January 1 and December 31 of 2007 are eligible.
The idea for the award came about as various authors discussed ways to reward quality fiction in the LDS market. Robison E. Wells, LDS author and collector of online reviews, realized the need to recognize those books whose authors have striven to reach beyond the bar. Thus the Whitney was born.
The categories for this award are as follows: Romance/Women’s Fiction, Suspense/Mystery, Speculative Fiction, YA/Children’s Literature, Historical, Novel of the Year, and Best Novel by a New Author. As you can see, this list covers a broad range and seven awards will be given out yearly.
How are the books selected? First, readers are encouraged to vote for their favorite book. Authors can’t vote for themselves, but they are allowed to get the word out about the award. After the Whitney Academy has received five votes for a book, that book is placed on a prelimary ballot. The board, consisting of seven members, then reads the books and decides which books will go on the final ballot, to be judged by the Academy.
The Academy is made up of authors, publishers, bookstore owners and others who have knowledge about the market and the industry. No author will be a judge who has a book on the ballot, just to keep things fair.
The award will be presented at the close of the LDStorymaker Writers Conference in March of 2008, and the winners will receive a small trophy to put on their mantle and make all their friends jealous.
Because this is the first year the award is being offered, I can give you no list of previous winners, but I can keep you updated as things progress.
Thank you for joining me as we look into book awards. Stay tuned as I investigate the Christy, the Edgar, and many, many others here on Families.com. For more information on the Whitney Award, click here.