The secrets or celebrations of families are a thread running through the 2019 North Carolina Book Awards that will be presented to recipients Thursday, Nov. 7 at the DoubleTree Hotel Raleigh on Hillsborough Street in Raleigh.
The Ragan Old North State Award for Nonfiction goes to Rob Christensen of Cary, for “The Rise and Fall of the Branchhead Boys,” a skillfully told account of one of North Carolina’s most influential political families, the Scotts. W. Kerr Scott, Robert Scott and Meg Scott Phipps all held statewide office across generations. The narrative examines this political dynasty from race-based politics to corruption.
The Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction goes to Lee Zacharias of Greensboro, for “Across the Great Lake,” the poetically told tale of Fern Halvorson’s adventure with her father on a huge, powerful ship that he captained across the frigid Lake Michigan. The 5-year-old delights in rough language and eating with the crew, even as her mother at home is dying. A ghost ship appears that presages danger for all.
The Roanoke-Chowan Award for Poetry goes to Kathryn Kirkpatrick of Boone, for “The Fisher Queen: New and Selected Poems.” Drawn from six award-winning collections, Kirkpatrick shares the best of her poetry in the otherworldly voice of the Fisher Queen, wife of the Fisher King, with an equally powerful tale of wounding and waste tied to environmental devastation told through multi-voiced lyrics.
The American Association of University Women Award for Young People’s Literature goes to Kelly Starling Lyons of Raleigh and Daniel Minter of Portland, Me., for “Going Down Home with Daddy.” Author Kelly Starling Lyons and illustrator Daniel Minter crafted a warm and beautifully illustrated story of an African American boy going to a family reunion, traditions and creating something for loved ones.
The R. Hunt Parker Memorial Award for Literary Achievement goes to Dennis Rogers of Leland, for his many years of writing about the people and places of eastern North Carolina, sharing information and observations on both as a columnist for the Raleigh News & Observer.
The C.C. Crittenden Memorial Award for lifetime contributions to history goes to Michael Hill of Durham, for his vast knowledge of the state’s history and more than 30 years of researching a wide range of North Carolina history topics as an employee of the N.C. Office of Archives and History, and writing hundreds of essays for N.C. Highway Historical markers, fondly known as “History on a stick.”
The Federation of N.C. Historical Societies Albert Ray Newsome Award recognizes local history preservation efforts. This year’s repeat recipient is the Currituck County Historical Society, which led the commemoration of the 350th anniversary of the first four counties in the region. Programming included historical presentations, traveling exhibits, historic homes tour, farm-to-table dinner, and more.
The Hardee-Rives Dramatic Arts Award goes to the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte for providing more than 70 years of consistently high theater service and reaching more than a quarter million theater experiences. The group provides “value on” services through arts residencies, classes and camps, and collaborates with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library through ImaginOn.
The Hugh T. Lefler Award for best college student paper goes to Bethany Kirkpatrick of Davidson College, for “Half as Hired, Twice as Good: Black Educators in Desegregated Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.”
At their joint meeting, members of the N.C. Literary and Historical Association and the Federation of N.C. Historical Societies will renew their commitment to stimulate the production of literature, to collect and preserve historical material in North Carolina, and to recognize excellence in both areas.
The awards will be presented in a ticketed 6 p.m. program. The free afternoon program theme is “Eating Well in the Old North State,” and starts at 1:30 p.m. Bridgette Lacy, award winning journalist and author of “Sunday Dinner,” is the dinner speaker.
The free afternoon sessions will be on “A Very Fishy State: History and Culture of North Carolina Seafood and Why We Should Eat More of It,” by cookbook author Debbie Moose, and ‘Women, Food and Power,” featuring a panel consisting of Vimala Rajendran of Vimala’s Curryblossom Café in Chapel Hill, Tonya Council, founder of Tonya’s Cookies and granddaughter of Mildred Council (Mama Dip), and Michele Tracey, associate professor in women’s and gender studies at UNC-Chapel Hill.
For additional information on the North Carolina Book Awards, please call (919) 814-6641. Tickets to the evening program are $45 and may be purchased online through Oct. 31 by credit card and PayPal. The online address is https://www.ncdcr.gov/about/history/lit-and-hist. The Office of Archives and History is within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and administers the program.