NH Authors Honored at the 2019 NH Literary Awards

Earlier this month the New Hampshire Writers’ Project hosted the 13th New Hampshire Literary Awards presentation. A panel of judges composed of teachers, non-competing authors, and editors reviewed the books. There are five categories: Middle/Young Adult; Children’s Picture Books; Non-Fiction; Fiction; and Poetry. In order to compete, the books had to have been written by NH authors and must have been published between April 1, 2016 and December 31, 2018.

“This is the equivalent of our Academy Awards,” said Claudia Decker, chair of the NH Literary Awards and member of the NH Writers’ Project (NHWP) Board of Trustees. “It is a great honor to receive a NH Literary Award.” Decker is also an author and high school teacher in Nashua. “The NH Literary Awards present a wonderful opportunity to recognize the talent and diversity of writers.”

The 2019 Winners were:

Outstanding Work of Fiction **Tie**

Beautiful Invention by Margaret Porter, Hollywood Beauty. Brilliant inventor. The incredible story of a remarkable and misunderstood woman -screen actress Hedy Lamarr

The Oracle Files: Escape by Masheri Chappelle, Cursed by her mother at age six, Elizabeth is forced to battle Malachai, an angry West African ghost, as she rises from slave to Quaker, to “Blue Vein” Socialite, in the harsh Black and White world of 1850 New York.

Outstanding Work of Non-Fiction **Tie**

Ciao Italia by Mary Ann Esposito, Beloved PBS chef Esposito shares traditional authentic Italian recipes and a look into Italian culture.

The White Mountain by Dan Szczesny, An exploration into the history and mystique of New England’s tallest mountain. But Mount Washington is more than just a 6,288-foot rock pile; the mountain is the cultural soul of climbers, hikers, and tourists from around the world.

Outstanding Book of Poetry

Hallowed: New and Selected Poems by Patricia Fargnoli, Featuring selections from Patricia Fargnoli’s four previous books along with twenty-four new poems, here is a celebration of poetic endurance, filled with quietly distinctive cadences and images closely seen, now freshly understood.

Outstanding Middle Grade / Young Adult Book

Bound by Ice by Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace, Follows the journey of George Washington De Long and the crew of the USS Jeannette, who departed San Francisco in the summer of 1879 hoping to find a route to the North Pole.

Outstanding Work of Children’s Literature

The Perfect Pillow by Eric Pinder, In his strange new room on his big new bed, Brody tosses and turns, holding his stuffed dragon named Horst. His parents can’t help him fall asleep, so he has no choice but to go out and search for a better bed.

About the NH Writers' Project

Founded in 1988, the New Hampshire Writers’ Project (NHWP) is the state’s largest literary arts nonprofit organization. The NHWP fosters and celebrates New Hampshire writers and provides a supportive community to writers of all ages, experience levels, backgrounds and genres. NHWP core programs, publications, website and annual 603 Writers’ Conference provide writers and readers with opportunities to meet each other, network and learn more about the art of writing and the business of publishing.