Georgia Author of the Year Awards at KSU to honor state’s literary excellence
KENNESAW‚ Ga. (May 24‚ 2007) − Kennesaw State University will host the 43rd…
Georgia (May 24, 2007) — Georgia Author of the Year Awards at KSU to honor state’s literary excellence
Jeremy Craig
Abstract
Director of University Relations
Frances Weyand Harrison
770−423−6203
fharris4@kennesaw.edu
Contact/Writer: Jeremy Craig‚ 770−499−3448 or jcraig19@kennesaw.edu
KENNESAW‚ Ga. (May 24‚ 2007) − Kennesaw State University will host the 43rd annual
Georgia Author of the Year Awards banquet on June 2 at Room 400 of the KSU Center.
The banquet begins at 6 p.m.‚ and the awards program starts at 7:30 p.m.
Sponsored by the Georgia Writers Association and KSU‚ the event will honor awardees
for books published during 2006. The purpose of the Georgia Author of the Year Awards
is to recognize and acknowledge Georgia’s wealth of outstanding writers and to acquaint
them with the public and one another‚ thus continuing the state’s rich literary heritage.
The awards honor both independently−published authors and those whose books have been
published by traditional publishing houses. All Georgia−resident authors who have
been published during 2006 are eligible for the awards. There are 102 nominations
this year.
Award categories include fiction‚ first novel‚ creative non−fiction‚ poetry‚ anthologies
and children's/young adult literature‚ in addition to a special lifetime achievement
award and the Taran Family Memorial Award.
The awards were created in 1964 by the founders of the Dixie Council of Authors and
Journalists‚ later becoming the Council of Authors and Journalists. The organization
turned over the responsibilities of the awards to the Georgia Writers Association
in the 1990s.
Since then‚ the awards have continued to thrive‚ and remain the oldest literary awards
in the Southeastern United States.
Last year’s award winners included University of Georgia history professor James C.
Cobb for “The Brown Decision‚ Jim Crow and Southern Identity‚” and former President
Jimmy Carter for “Our Endangered Values.” Other award winners from the 42nd annual
GAYA awards can be viewed at http://georgiawriters.org/42ndWinners.htm.
For maps and directions to the KSU Center‚ please visit www.kennesaw.edu/about/maps.shtml.
More information about the Georgia Author of the Year Awards and the Georgia Writers
Association is available online at http://georgiawriters.org. A list of nominees for the 43rd annual GAYA awards is available at http://georgiawriters.org/43rdnominees.htm.
Media coverage is welcome. Please contact Jeremy Craig at 770−499−3448 or jcraig19@kennesaw.edu‚ or Lisa Russell at 770−420−4736 or lrussel7@kennesaw.edu to confirm attendance.
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A member of the 35−unit University System of Georgia‚ Kennesaw State University is
a comprehensive‚ residential institution with a growing student population approaching
20‚000 from 132 countries. The third−largest university in Georgia‚ Kennesaw State
offers more than 60 graduate and undergraduate degrees‚ including a new doctorate
in education.
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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers more than 150 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 41,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the second-largest university in the state. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the region and from 126 countries across the globe. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.