Last modified: Monday, July 12, 2010
IU English Professor Scott Russell Sanders wins Indiana Authors Award
Distinguished professor wins $10,000 for himself and $2,500 for Indiana library of his choosing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 12, 2010
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Scott Russell Sanders, a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of English at Indiana University, has been selected as the national recipient of the 2010 Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Award. This lifetime achievement award recognizes the contributions of Indiana authors to the literary landscape in Indiana and across the nation.
Along with a $10,000 cash prize, Sanders will select an Indiana library to receive a grant of $2,500. His selection will be announced at an award ceremony in October.
Sanders is the author of more than 20 books including novels, nonfiction and collections of short stories. His writing has been widely recognized, earning him a number of state and national awards, including a Pulitzer Prize nomination for A Private History of Awe.
"Scott is such a proponent of the sense of place, of feeling and celebrating one's embeddedness in region and landscape, that it makes good sense for him to be recognized for this prestigious Indiana Authors Award," said Jonathan Elmer, chair of the IU Department of English. "And it's a lovely gesture that the local library receives part of the prize -- I'm sure Scott appreciates that feature of the award as much as the other!"
"My wife and I moved to Indiana in 1971, and ever since our arrival I have grounded my writing in this place, hoping through my books to reach my neighbors as well as readers across America," said Sanders in a statement. "So I feel deeply honored to be named this year's national winner of the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Award. Like many writers, I entered the world of books through the doors of public libraries. So it gives me special pleasure that this award comes from the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library Foundation."
In addition to Sanders, IU Press author Ray Boomhower has been recognized as a regional finalist. Boomhower is senior editor of the Indiana Historical Society's quarterly history magazine Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History.
Award finalists in all three categories -- national, regional, and emerging -- will be honored at a dinner on Oct. 9 at Central Library in downtown Indianapolis (One Library Sqaure, 40 E. Clair St.). The Indiana Authors Award is a program of the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library Foundation and is funded by The Glick Fund, a fund of Central Indiana Community Foundation.
For more information on the Indiana Authors Award Dinner, contact the Library Foundation at 317-275-4700 or visit www.indianaauthorsaward.org.
For more information on Scott Russell Sanders, see www.scottrussellsanders.com/.
