Connecticut Literary News

I have barely been keeping up on what's going on in-state since the beginning of the year. That's an exaggeration. No, it's an outright lie. I haven't been keeping up at all. 

Here are a couple of items that turned up on my radar this morning.

The Big News...

...is that the Connecticut Center for the Book, the state affiliate of the national Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, is "on hiatus" and there will be no Connecticut Book Awards this year. I think the Connecticut Book Awards disappeared for a few years a while back and then returned, so maybe this is not as bad as I think it is. However, I can't help thinking this has the same feel as The Connecticut Children's Book Fair. That disappeared for a year or two in the teens, came back in an unenthusiastic manner for a while, and hasn't been held since 2018. That's pre-pandemic, people. I'm not accepting the Big P as a cause of that.

The Intriguing News...

...is that the Connecticut Center for the Book, which I guess isn't all that on hiatus, has named two books as Library of Congress Reads From Great Places Selections. What is that? you may well ask. Well, the Library of Congress has a Roadmap to Reading Project at this Saturday's National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. The books were chosen as being representative of Connecticut's literary heritage and they both won Connecticut Book Awards last year. You will recall, because I just told you, that there will be no Connecticut Book Awards this year.  Hmmm.

The Connecticut books selected for Read From Great Places are:

Soul Food Sunday by Winsome Bingham with illustrations by C.G. Esperanza. A picture book! I was aware of this book, because it's a children's book and that has been my beat in Connecticut. And elsewhere.

Goliath by Tochi Onyebuchi Science fiction set in Connecticut!!! This book I wasn't aware of, because last year, when I was covering the Connecticut Book Awards, I was only interested in the children's categories. This year, remember, I'm focusing on adult work, my own and everyone else's. The big draw for me with this book is that it is, as I've already said, science fiction set in Connecticut. Now, perhaps there is a subgenre of Connecticut-based science fiction that I don't know about, because I'm not that knowledgeable about scifi. But now I know there is this one.

Connecticut Book Award Finalists Announced

The Connecticut Center for the Book has announced the finalists for the 2022 Connecticut Book Awards, which recognize the best books either about Connecticut or by authors or illustrators from Connecticut.

The Young Readers' categories include a number NESCBWI colleagues

Picture Books-Fiction

• Soul Food Sunday, Winsome Hudson-Bing
• Three Pockets Full, Cindy Rodriguez

Picture Books-Nonfiction

• Bei Bei Goes Home: A Panda Story, Cheryl Bardoe
• Walrus Song, Janet Lawler

Middle Grade-Nonfiction

• Fairy Tale Science, Sarah Albee
• Robo-Motion: Robots That Move Like Animals, Linda Zajac

Middle Grade-Fiction

• View From Pagoda Hill, Michaela MacColl
• The Flyers, Beth Turley
• To Tell You the Truth, Beth Vrabel

Fiction-Young Adult

• The Secret Life of Kitty Granger, G.D. Falksen
• Mercury Boys, Chandra Prasad                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Winners will be announced at the Connecticut Book Awards event at the Hartford Public Library on Sunday, October 23.

Connecticut Book Awards Open For Submissions

The Connecticut Center for the Book at Connecticut Humanities is now accepting submissions for the 2022 Connecticut Book Awards. This award is for books published in 2021. Connecticut Book Awards recognize the best books by authors and illustrators from Connecticut or books about Connecticut.

Among the categories is Books for Young Readers. 

There's a $50.00 submission fee, and submissions close on May 2, 2022

Much more information is available at the Connecticut Center for the Book's website

Yes, you can submit your own book.

Connecticut Book Awards Submissions Opening Next Monday

2020 Connecticut Book Awards Submissions Open
January 13, 2020

Connecticut Center for the Book will begin accepting submissions for the 2020 Connecticut Book Awards on January 13, 2020; the final deadline for all categories is April 17, 2020. Criteria, guidelines and the online submission form may be found on https://ctcenterforthebook.org. Entry fees start at $40.00. 

Connecticut Book Awards recognize the best books by authors and llustrators from Connecticut or books about Connecticut. Categories include: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Books for Young Readers broken into three subcategories: Picture Books, Fiction, and Nonfiction. The Bruce Fraser ‘Spirit of Connecticut’ Award honors the memory of long-time director Bruce Fraser and celebrates Connecticut’s sense of place.

The awards ceremony will be held in October 2020. Final date is to be determined.*

*Connecticut Center for the Book Press Release. I couldn't find the on-line submission form there, but presumably it will be up next week.

Connecticut Book Award Finalists...And Some Of Them Are Children's Books

The Connecticut Center for the Book has announced the finalists for the Connecticut Book Awards. There are three categories of adult books and two of children's.

Young Readers--Young Adult

Jake Burt of Hamden, Greetings from Witness Protection!
Karen Romano Young of Bethel, Whale Quest
Sarah Albee of Watertown, Poison

Young Readers — Juvenile (includes authors and illustrators)

Gigi Priebe of New Canaan, The Adventures of Henry Whiskers
Lauren Baratz-Logsted of Danbury,  I Love You, Michael Collins
Susan Hood of Southport,  Double Take! A New Look at Opposites
Deborah Freedman of Hamden,  This House, Once
Andrea Wisnewski of Storrs, Trio, The Tale of a Three-legged Cat

The winners will be announced on Sunday, October 14 from 2 to 3 PM at Staples High School in Westport. There will be a keynote speech from Okey Ndibe, a reception, and a book signing with this year’s winners, finalists, and Ndibe  from 3 to 4 PM. Open to the public, with tickets.

Sounds like a good Sunday afternoon.

Time For Connecticut Authors To Submit For Connecticut Book Awards

Submissions are open for the 2017 Connecticut Book Awards sponsored by the Connecticut Center for the Book. The awards include a category for books for young readers, both authors and illustrators, as well as fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. The deadline for submission is April 21, 2017, and the winners will be announced this October.

Eligibility Requirements

Author must currently reside in Connecticut and must have lived in the state at least three successive years or have been born in the state. Alternatively, the work may be substantially set in Connecticut.

Titles must have been first published between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016.

All submitted books must have a valid ISBN.

Authors may enter more than one book per year.

Anthologies are acceptable. Author(s) must have resided in Connecticut for at least three years of have been born in the state. Alternatively, the works must be substantially set in Connecticut.

Books by deceased authors will be accepted only if the author was still living at the beginning of the eligibility year (January 1, 2016).

More Information

More information about guidelines and entry fees, as well as how to apply, is available at the Connecticut Center for the Book website. 

And Even More Information

The Connecticut Center for the book is the Connecticut branch of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. It is administrated by Connecticut Humanities, a nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Connecticut Humanities highlights cultural and educational events in Connecticut through its website and social media channels and is an advocate for the humanities.

The Connecticut Book Awards Are Back

The Connecticut Center for the Book, a CT Humanities Program,  is bringing back the Connecticut Book Awards, which were last heard from in 2011 when the Connecticut Center for the Book was managed by Hartford Library. There will be four categories, including Books for Young Readers. That will include "Juvenile, Young Adult, Teen." (I am not at all sure what the difference is between YA and Teen. In fact, I really have no idea.) This category includes both authors and illustrators.

Take a look at the submission guidelines.

Saving the Planet & Stuff was a finalist for the Connecticut Book Award Young Readers division back in 2004. Pegi Deitz Shea (seated far left) won that year.

The hardcover edition of STP&S is out-of-print now, but I still have that outfit. And wear it. It seems as if that should have some meaningful significance, but for the life of me I can't think what it would be.

CT Center for the Book Website Is Up And Running

Connecticut Humanities launched its new CT Center for the Book website this past summer.

In addition to an Events page that has a lot of potential for readers and writers in the state, the site has a section on Connecticut Authors. The author section is also broken down by genre, and breaks out to info on individual writers.

The Connecticut Center for the Book is the state section of the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress. Every state has one. Connecticut's Center for the Book was part of the Hartford Public Library for at least ten years. It moved to Connecticut Humanities, then called the Connecticut Humanities Council, in 2012.