Thursday, May 10, 2012

22nd Annual Midwest Book Awards

Ox Cart Angel won a Midwest Book Award for Best Young Adult Novel of 2011 at the 22nd Annual Midwest Book Awards, held in Bloomington, Minnesota. It was exciting to be part of the process and nice to be in such good company.

I attended the award ceremony with my wife, Melissa, and my parents Scott and Colleen Arnold. It started with a reception complete with hors d'oevres and a display of all the finalists.

When it comes to free food, the writing community gets serious!



Just a small part of the display of books.

After the recepton, it was time for the award ceremony. We filed into the auditorium.



Karen Walhof, the Midwest Book Awards Chair, did the presenting:




When a category was announced, they'd show the finalists up on the screen:




Then they would announce the winner. Dorothy Mostad,the president of the Midwest Independent Publishers Association, handed out the certificates and medals. Here I am receiving the award:

Wait - do I look over this way? Or that way?

Mary Ann Grossman, longtime book reviewer for the St. Paul Pioneer Press (she started her career there in 1961!) received the Bell Award, which "honors a person in the publishing community who epitomizes the core values of professional collegiality and generosity with support, knowledge, and wisdom."



It was a wonderful event, and I'm glad I could share it with Melissa, my folks, and you, my readers!

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