Washington Center for the Book Announces 2017 Washington State Book Award Winners
release date: October 15, 2017
The Washington Center for the Book, a partnership of The Seattle Public Library and Washington State Library, announces the winners in eight categories for the 2017 Washington State Book Awards (WSBA) for outstanding books published by Washington authors in 2016. This is the 51st year of the program, formerly called the Governor's Writers Awards.
Winners of the 2017 WSBA awards were announced Oct. 14 at the Central Library.
The program, held in the Microsoft Auditorium, featured emcee Paul Hanson, owner of Village Books in Bellingham. The program also featured brief readings from the winning titles. A reception and book signing was held in the Living Room on Level 3 of the Central Library. The awards and celebration were sponsored by The Seattle Public Library Foundation, Village Books in Bellingham and The Elliott Bay Book Company. Book sales were provided by Third Place Books.
These book awards are given based on the strength of a book's literary merit, lasting importance and overall quality. To be considered, authors must have been born in Washington state or be a current resident and have maintained residence here for at least three years.
2017 WSBA WINNERS: BOOKS FOR ADULTS CATEGORIES
Fiction
"Daredevils" by Shawn Vestal, of Spokane (Penguin Press)
Poetry
"My, My, My, My, My" by Tara Hardy, of Seattle (Write Bloody Publishing)
Biography/Memoir
"An Earlier Life" by Brenda Miller, of Bellingham (Judith Kitchen's Ovenbird Books)
History/General Nonfiction
"Eruption: The Untold Story of Mount St. Helens" by Steve Olson, of Seattle (W.W. Norton & Company)
2017 WSBA WINNERS: BOOKS FOR YOUTH CATEGORIES
Picture Book
"Thunder Boy Jr." written by Sherman Alexie, of Seattle, and illustrated by Yuyi Morales (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Books for Young Readers (ages 6 to 8)
"Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea" by Ben Clanton of Tacoma (Tundra Books)
Books for Middle Readers (ages 9 to 12)
"Some Kind of Courage" by Dan Gemeinhart, of Cashmere (Scholastic Press)
Books for Young Adults (ages 13 to 18)
"Useless Bay" by M.J. Beaufrand, of Seattle (Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams)
The authors of the award-winning books, as well as the illustrator of the picture book, will receive a $500 honorarium, thanks to the generous support of The Seattle Public Library Foundation.
JUDGES
The jury for the adult awards included Linda Andrews, English instructor, Walla Walla Community College; Lisa Bitney, branch manager, Tacoma Public Library; Pam Cady, manager, University Book Store; Lisa Gresham, collection support manager, Whatcom County Library System.
The jury for the youth awards included Sheri Boggs, youth collection development librarian, Spokane County Library District; Tom Brown, librarian, Seattle Public Schools; and Raina Sedore, youth services librarian, Timberland Library System.