Salvatore Scibona's THE END named an Ohioana Book Award finalist

March 30, 2009—Graywolf Press is pleased to announce that The End by Salvatore Scibona has been named a finalist for the Ohioana Book Award of the Ohioana Library. “Ohio authors are amazing! The variety, and depth of topics and characters included in this year’s array of book award finalists represent the finest in the literature of our time. We are a proud to recognize the authors from all areas of our state who have published outstanding books this year.” said Linda Hengst, executive director of the Ohioana Library. “We receive 700 to 900 books a year all of which become eligible for the book awards, so the authors of the books selected as finalists should feel truly honored.”

The book awards are given in five categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, juvenile literature, and “about Ohio/Ohioans.” Many of the book award finalists will be at the 3rd annual Ohioana Book Festival on May 9th. Ohioana will announce the winners in each category near the end of August, and recipients will be honored at the annual Ohioana Day Awards Ceremony and Luncheon on Saturday, October 17, 2009.

Other finalists in the fiction category include Brock Clarke (An Arsonist’s Guide to Writers’ Homes in New England), P.F. Kluge (Gone Tomorrow), Erin McGraw (The Seamstress of Hollywood Boulevard), Toni Morrison (A Mercy), and Curtis Sittenfelt (American Wife).

A complete list of finalists in all book categories can be found at the Ohiona Library's website.

The Ohioana Awards began in 1942, with James B. “Scotty” Reston, Walter Havighurst, and Willard M. Kiplinger as the first recipients. In addition to the book awards, the library sponsors six other awards, including citations in a various fields, a editorial excellence award for an Ohio based journal or magazine, the Walter Rumsey Marvin Grant for a young (30 years of age or younger) unpublished author, the Robert Fox Awards for Young Writers, and the Ohioana
Pegasus and Career Awards.

The mission of the Ohioana Library, established in 1929 by First Lady Martha Kinney Cooper, is to recognize and encourage the creative accomplishments of Ohioans; preserve and expand a permanent collection of books, sheet music, manuscripts, and other materials by Ohioans and about Ohio; and disseminate information about the work of Ohio writers, musicians and other artists to researchers, schools and the general public. Individuals can visit the library at 274 E. First Ave., Columbus, OH, or online at www.ohioana.org.