Finalists Announced for the 79th Annual California Book Awards


Categories include:
Poetry, Young Adult, Juvenile,
First Fiction, Fiction, and Nonfiction

Winners announced: Monday, April 19, 2010
Awards Ceremony: Thursday June 3, 2010 at 6 p.m.

SAN FRANCISCO – (March 22, 2010) The Commonwealth Club has announced this year’s finalists of the California Book Awards. On April 19th winners in all six categories – poetry, young adult, juvenile, first fiction, fiction, and nonfiction – will be announced to the public. Later on, book lovers from around the state will gather on Thursday, June 3 at 6 pm at 595 Market Street, 2nd floor, in San Francisco to recognize the winners at a special program and reception. For Tickets, call 415/597-6705/6706.

"This time around we thought we’d highlight all of our deserving nominees and their works,” said Dr. Gloria Duffy, President and CEO of the Commonwealth Club. “Although we can only select one winner in each category all the books under consideration are worthy of special note – just in time for springtime reading.”

Commonwealth Club Literary Director Wendy Wanderman, who organizes the competition commented, “This year’s finalists once again represent a rich diversity of wonderful writers here in the Golden State. We received so many wonderful submissions from California writers, it was truly challenging for our committee of jurors to whittle it down to their favorites.”

The 79th Annual California Book Awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 6 pm at the Commonwealth Club, 595 Market Street in San Francisco. The event is open to the public. A gourmet hors d’oeuvres and wine reception will begin at 5:00 p.m. The awards presentation will follow at 6 p.m. A book-signing and dessert reception will take place immediately following the ceremony.

2010 FINALISTS:

POETRY
Dick of the Dead, Rachel Loden
Mansion of Happiness, Robin Ekiss
Breakfast with Thom Gunn, Randall Mann
Of This World, Joseph Stroud
Chronic, D.A. Powell

YOUNG ADULT
Islands of the Blessed, Nancy Farmer
Marching for Freedom, Elizabeth Partridge
Flygirl, Sherri Smith

JUVENILE
Lucky Breaks, Susan Patron, Illustrations by Matt Phelan
The Anne Frank Case: Simon Wiesenthal’s Search for the Truth, Susan Goldman Rubin, Illustrations by Bill Farnsworth
Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story, Paula Yoo, Illustrations by Lin Wang

FIRST FICTION
The Southern Cross, Skip Horack
Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese
Drift, Victoria Patterson
The Bigness of the World, Lori Ostlund
The Invisible Mountain, Carolina de Robertis

FICTION
The Women, T.C. Boyle
The Vagrants, Yiyun Li
Blame, Michelle Huneven
I Am Not Sidney Poitier, Percival Everett
Both Ways Is The Only Way I Want It, Maile Meloy

NONFICTION
Imperial, William T. Vollman
A Paradise Built in Hell, Rebecca Solnit
Zeitoun , David Eggers
Founder, Ray Raphael
Leaving India, Minal Hajratwal


History

Since 1931, the California Book Awards have honored the exceptional literary merit of California writers and publishers. Each year a select jury considers hundreds of books from around the state in search of the very best in literary achievement. Eligible books must be written while the author is a resident in California, and must be published during the year under consideration.

The California Book Awards have often been on the vanguard, honoring previously unknown authors who go on to garner national acclaim. John Steinbeck received three gold medals – for Tortilla Flat in 1935, In Dubious Battle in 1936 and The Grapes of Wrath in 1939.

Recent award winners include Jared Diamond, Kay Ryan, Bill Vollman, Joyce Maynard, Andrew Sean Greer, Chris Abani, Adrienne Rich, Chalmers Johnson, Richard Rodriguez, Michael Chabon, Philip Levine, Adam Hochschild, Galen Rowell, and Kevin Starr.

Founded in 1903, The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation’s oldest and largest public affairs forum, with more than 18,000 members. The Club hosts speeches, debates and discussions on topics of regional, national and international interest.

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