Do you know someone(s) who should be recognized for their work in promoting African American literature? Could it be you? We encourage you to submit a nomination for the 2013 Zora Neale Hurston Award. The deadline for all nominations is Dec. 15, 2012.
The Zora Neale Hurston Award recognizes any ALA member who has demonstrated leadership in promoting African American literature. The winner receives funds to attend the ALA Annual Conference, tickets to the FOLUSA Author tea, and a set of the Zora Neale Hurston books published by Harper Perennial at the time the award is made.
Recent past winners include:
2012Â Vanessa Irvin Morris, Assistant Teaching Professor, Drexel University
2011 Theresa Venable, Librarian for Children’s Defense Fund Haley Farm’s Langston Hughes Library
Venable was chosen for her work in library programming designed to promote African American authors and African American illustrators of children’s picture books. Examples of Venable’s programming include directing the 2009 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture sponsored by the Association of Library Service to Children and coordinating the 2010 Big Read Sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts.
2010Â Anthony Loum, Coordinator of Adult Library Services, Brooklyn Public Library
For his work planning and ensuring the quality of programs delivered by the Brooklyn Public Library in the 2009 Big Read for which Zora Neale Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God†was the chosen book.
2009Â Miriam Rodriguez, Assistant Director, Public Services, Community Integration of the Dallas Public Library
Don’t delay! You can download the nomination form (PDF) here.
Questions? Contact Jannie R. Cobb, Zora Neale Hurston Award Committee Chair at jcobb@nlc.edu.