FOREWORD BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED AT BEA
Editor’s Choice Prizes presented to
The Basket Maker and
Egyptology
New York, New York -- ForeWord Magazine, the only review trade journal devoted exclusively to covering books from independent houses, announced the winners of its sixth annual Book of the Year Awards (BOTYA) today at Book Expo America, the largest book publishing event in the US. 184 Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners in fifty-one different BOTYA categories were presented for books published in 2004, along with the prestigious Editor’s Choice Prize for Best Fiction and Best Non-Fiction.
Hundreds of representatives spanning the entire scope of book publishing gathered for the event at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, and saw works honored in fifty-two different categories, from Biography to Travel Essays. Publisher Victoria Sutherland and ForeWord managing editor Alex Moore presented the awards, which culminated in the naming of The Basket Maker by Kate Niles (GreyCore Press) as the recipient for Best Fiction, and Egyptology: Search for the Tomb of Osiris, by Emily Sands (Candlewick Press) as the winner in the Nonfiction category.
Sutherland said that this year yielded a record number of 1500 BOTYA entries, which were narrowed down to 500 finalists, and then to the 184 winners. Established in 1998, BOTYA recognizes excellence, spirit, original voices, and vision in the independent press industry. Past winners include Peace Like a River by Leif Enger (Atlantic Monthly), The Road Home by Jim Harrison (Atlantic Monthly), and Taking the Wall by Jonis Agee (Coffee House Press) for fiction; and Mercators Atlas (Walking Tree Press), And the Crowd Goes Wild by Joe Garner (Sourcebooks) for non-fiction.
“This year’s awards reflect the diverse quality of writing and production in the independent press industry, and ForeWord’s ongoing mission to champion those efforts,” said Sutherland. “BOTYA is the result of the incredible teamwork of scores of gifted authors, dedicated publishing house representatives, and experienced, insightful judges, all of whom are on the daily frontlines of making a difference in the world by putting good books into the hands of appreciative readers.”
The prize for Best Non-Fiction was given to Egyptology: Search for the Tomb of Osiris by Emily Sands, Nick Harris, Helen Ward, and Ian Andrew, and artistic and educational triumph delivered in the form of an archeological scrapbook. The Basket Maker, the debut novel of Niles, addresses the disturbing and emotionally complex issue of sexual abuse of a child by a parent, and crafts it into an unforgettable and powerful story of humanity and hope.
“The quality of the submissions this year was just outstanding, which made a difficult job even tougher,” commented Moore, part of the judges’ team for the awards. “What we saw across the board was a level of originality and accomplishment that has raised the bar for every aspect of BOTYA. It says a tremendous amount about what independent publishing is capable of and has accomplished, the recognition and credibility of these awards, and what it means to have reached this point.”
ForeWord, a bi-monthly publication provides coverage for books from independent publishing houses that range in size from university presses publishing hundreds of tiles per year to micro, POD, and eBook publishers who may publish one title in a lifetime. eWord: a ForeWord Magazine special section on the digital delivery of books, is the most recent addition of information services for the book trade provided by ForeWord Magazine, Inc. Further details about BOTYA, and a complete list of winners and finalists for the 2004 event can be found at www.forewordmagazine.com, and in its electronic newsletter, ForeWord This Week, which is also available through the website.