Five books from the West Virginia University Press, including one penned by a WVU graduate and another by a Potomac State College of WVU professor, are garnering national attention.
ForeWord Magazine, the only review trade journal devoted exclusively to covering books from independent publishers, has named them finalists in its 10th annual Book of the Year Awards. The publications were chosen from a pool of about 1,600 submissions in 61 categories.
At the beginning of each year, we set goals for ourselves at the WVU Press in production, sales and national visibility,said Patrick Conner, director and editor of the WVU Press.One goal this year was to publish one award-winning book. Five finalists for a national award is a wonderful tribute to the high level of dedication of everyone involved in the publication of these booksfrom the authors through the editors, designers and marketing staff.
Two of the titles by the WVU Press,Monongah: The Tragic Story of the 1907 Monongah Mine DisasterandThe Potomac Canal,are finalists in the history category.
Monongahby Davitt McAteer, WVU alumnus and international mine safety advocate, commemorates the 100th anniversary of an explosion that claimed the lives of hundreds of men and boys in a Monongah coal mine. It is one of WVU Pressbest-sellers.
The Potomac Canalby Robert J. Kapsch is a history of the nations first effort to link the rich western lands with the eastern coastal cities. Publication ofThe Potomac Canalis supported by a grant from the West Virginia Humanities Council.
Bringing Down the Mountainsby Shirley Stewart Burns is a finalist in the environment category. Burns provides readers with an informed and passionate account of the effects of mountaintop removal surface coal mining on southern West Virginia communities.
Potomac State College of WVU English professor Kevin Stewart wroteThe Way Things Always Happen Here,one of the finalists in the short stories category. The book is a collection of eight stories set in a fictional West Virginia county and one novella set in the Arkansas Ozarks.
WVU Press also has one finalist in the political science category.Defending the Homeland,edited by Melinda M. Hicks and C. Belmont Keeney, is a collection of 10 essays written by academic scholars and presented at the 2005 U.S. Senator Rush D. Holt History Conference.
ForeWords Book of the Year Awards were established to highlight the literary achievements of independent publishers and their authors. Submissions were evaluated on editorial excellence, professional production, originality of the narrative, author credentials relative to the book and the value the book adds to its genre.
The gold, silver and bronze winners, determined by a panel of book sellers and librarians, will be announced May 30 at BookExpo America in Los Angeles. Two titles will also be presented with the Editors Choice Awards, which include a $1,500 prize.
To purchase books or for more information, contact the WVU Press athttp://www.wvupress.com/or 1-866-WVU-PRESS (1-866-988-7737).