A press conference was held today at the Indiana State House in Indianapolis to announce the inaugural Eugene & Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Award. Representatives from the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library Foundation; the Glick Fund, a fund of Central Indiana Community Foundation; the State Library; and the State Senate spoke at this announcement.

Press Release:

Library Foundation and The Glick Fund to Showcase
Indiana Authors with Inaugural Award
Nominations Now Being Accepted for “Indiana Authors Award”

INDIANAPOLIS — Nominations for the inaugural Eugene & Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Award are now being accepted by the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library Foundation through April 8, 2009. This award seeks to recognize the contributions of Indiana authors to the literary landscape in Indiana and across the nation, and is funded by the generosity of The Glick Fund, a fund of Central Indiana Community Foundation.

From start to finish, the Indiana Authors Award will invite participation from people around the state beginning with the nomination process. Participation will then continue throughout the year with outreach to organizations serving readers and writers, an interactive Web site, public programs and more.

Nomination forms are available from now through April 8 at www.indianaauthorsaward.org. Complete information and eligibility guidelines are included on the nomination forms.

Any published writer who was born in Indiana or has lived in Indiana for at least five years is eligible for nomination. A seven-member, statewide Award Panel will select winners in three categories from the pool of publicly nominated authors:

• National Author - $10,000 prize: a writer with Indiana ties, but whose work is known and read throughout the country. National authors will be evaluated on their entire body of work.
• Regional Author - $7,500 prize: A writer who is well-known and respected throughout the state of Indiana. Regional authors will be evaluated on their entire body of work.
• Emerging Author - $5,000 prize: A writer with only one published book. Emerging authors will be evaluated on their single published work.

In addition to a cash prize, each author’s Indiana hometown public library will receive a grant of $2,500 from the Library Foundation.

“This is a one-of-a-kind program that honors Indiana’s proud literary heritage,” said David Barrett, president and CEO of the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Family Foundation and advisor to The Glick Fund. “We’re thrilled to be working with the Library Foundation, and we believe that this program will serve to enrich the state’s cultural fabric for many years to come.”

“Indiana has a rich tradition in cultivating talented authors,” said Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. “I commend the Glick family and the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library Foundation for showcasing and celebrating Indiana authors and I call upon all Hoosiers to join me in participating in the nomination process.”

Award finalists will be honored on September 26, 2009 at the Central Library in downtown Indianapolis. The day’s events will include free public programming such as author lectures, “how to get published” workshops for aspiring writers, and more. An award dinner/fund raiser benefiting the Library Foundation will follow that evening to support Library programs and services. Ticket information for the award dinner is available by contacting the Library Foundation at (317) 275-4700.