Saturday, March 26, 2011

24th Annual Oregon Book Awards Ceremony

Celebrate Oregon's Literary Excellence



24th Annual

Oregon Book Awards Ceremony



DATE: Monday, April 25, 2011
TIME: 7:30PM
LOCATION: The Gerding Theater at the Armory

Kurt Andersen will host the 24th Annual Oregon Book Awards. Andersen is the host of NPR's Studio 360 and the author of the novels Heyday and Turn of the Century. His articles have appeared in Vanity Fair, The New Yorker and Time, and he was one of the co-founders of Spy magazine. He's also the co-founder of the "Portland Brooklyn Project" which nurtures connections, partnerships and new opportunities for the arts, education and for private businesses between Portland and Brooklyn.

The Oregon Book Awards recognize the year's finest accomplishments by Oregon writers in the genres of poetry, fiction, literary nonfiction, drama and young readers literature. This year, for the first time, Literary Arts is offering a Readers Choice Award, sponsored by the Oregonian. The winners will be announced at the Oregon Book Awards ceremony on April 25th. A complete list of the 2011Oregon Book Awards Finalists can be found online at www.literary-arts.org

In addition to recognizing the finest achievements of Oregon authors in several genres, Literary Arts recognizes individual contributions withthe Stewart H. Holbrook Literary Legacy Award and the Walt Morey Young Readers Literary Legacy Award.This year's recipients will receive their awards at the ceremony on April 25th.

The Stewart H. Holbrook Literary Legacy Award

The Stewart H. Holbrook Award is presented to a person or organization in recognition of significant contributions that have enriched Oregon's literary community. Past recipients include Brian Booth, founder of the Oregon Book Awards, Paulann Petersen and Kim Stafford.

Recipient: John Laursen of Portland

John Laursen is a designer, typographer, printer and publisher. He is the co-author, with Terry Toedtemeier, of Wild Beauty: Photographs of the Columbia River Gorge, 1867-1957. For four decades, Laursen has been owner and operator of Press-22, a Portland studio specializing in the design and production of high-quality books and text-based public art projects. His designs can be found in the Oregon Holocaust Memorial, the Walk of the Heroines at PSU, Hazel Hall Park, John Reed Memorial Bench in Washington Park, and at the Mount Tabor Entryway. He has worked with a variety of non-profit organizations focused on the arts, education, history, and the environment, including the Portland Art Museum, the Oregon Historical Society Press, the Regional Arts and Culture Council, the Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission, the Library of Congress Center for the Book and the Pacific Northwest College of Art.

The Walt Morey Young Readers Literary Legacy Award

The Walt Morey Award is presented to a person or organization in recognition of contributions to young readers literature. Past recipients include Claudia Jones, Wallowa County youth librarian; Barbara J. McKillip, founder of the Libri Foundation; Jerry Isom, director of Books 4 Kids; and Mark Mizell, high school English teacher.

Recipient: The Children's Book Bank of Portland

The Children's Book Bank is a nonprofit organization located in Portland. They strive to improve the literacy skills of low-income children by giving them books of their own before they reach kindergarten. The Children's Book Bank collects, repairs, and packages used books and distributes them to families free of charge.The Book Bank project allows families who are financially challenged to significantly increase their children's exposure to books at home. The Children's Book Bank also administers the Leading for Reading program, an internship program for high school students. Upon completion of the program, each high school student has led a group of volunteers, organized a book drive in their own community, and planned and run a grassroots fundraising event.

Oregon Book Awards Special Awards candidates are nominated by the public, and reviewed by the Oregon Book Awards Advisory Committee and the Literary Arts Board of Directors. For more information, please visit http://www.literary-arts.org/ .

TICKETS:

- $17 to $50
- Order online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/
- Or charge by phone at 1-800-838-3006

For additional information visit us online at http://www.literary-arts.org/  or call our office at 503-227-2583.

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