2012 Indiana Authors Award Recipients Honored

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- James Whitcomb Riley. Kurt Vonnegut. Ernie Pyle. James Alexander Thom. These recognizable names and others demonstrate the best of Indiana's influence on the nation's literary landscape – until now. Presented last month, the 2012 Eugene & Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Award named four additional authors with Indiana ties to the list of the state's literary greats.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121026/DE00644 )

After hundreds of nominations were received from the public and reviewed by a prestigious statewide panel, four authors emerged as shining examples of what Indiana continues to offer readers. On September 29, The Indianapolis Public Library Foundation presented the National Author award to John Green, while Barbara Shoup received the Regional Author award, Christopher Coake received the Emerging Author award and Dan Wakefield was selected as the first-ever Lifetime Achievement Honoree. These awards are provided through The Glick Fund, a fund of the Central Indiana Community Foundation.

"Through the generosity of The Glick Fund, the Indiana Authors Award has become an important cultural institution for our city and state," said Danny R. Dean, president of The Indianapolis Public Library Foundation. "We wish to express our gratitude to the Glick family and our sponsors, as well as our Award Panel, who reviewed a significant number of nominations and books over the course of several months. On behalf of the Library Foundation, congratulations to all the nominees and winners!"

The event included a public program celebrating Indiana authors and an Award Dinner, which raised $89,000 for the Library Foundation. Award-winning authors, along with their hometown Indiana libraries, each received grants ranging from $2,500 - $10,000.

"It's a great honor to be acknowledged in my hometown for my books, especially alongside writers as talented as Barbara Shoup and Christopher Coake," said National Author winner John Green. "My years in Indiana have been the most productive of my life, and tonight I was reminded why: Ours is a state rich in literary heritage and with an even brighter literary future."

The Call for Nominations for the 2013 Eugene & Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Award will commence early next year. To learn more, contact The Indianapolis Public Library Foundation at (317) 275-4700 or visit www.indianaauthorsaward.org.

SOURCE The Indianapolis Public Library Foundation