February26,2020

ForImmediateRelease

TEXASINSTITUTEOFLETTERSANNOUNCES2020LITERARYAWARDS

TheTexasInstituteofLettershasannounced13recipientsoftheirAnnualTILLiteraryAwards.Morethan$24,000inawardmonieswillbegiventothesewritersattheannualTILAwardsBanquet,whichisscheduledtotakeplaceMarch28,2020attheGeorgetownSheraton.

TheTexasInstituteofLettersisanonprofitHonorSocietyfoundedin1936tocelebrateTexasliteratureandrecognizedistinctiveliteraryachievement.TheTIL’selectedmembershipconsistsofthestate’smostrespectedwriters—includingwinnersofthePulitzerPrize,NationalBookAward,andMacArthur“Genius”Grants.

Thefollowingauthorshavebeennamedasaward-winners:OscarCásares,HollyGeorge-Warren,RonTyler,BryanWashington,NaomiShihabNye,LupeMendez,RubénDegollado,RebeccaBalcárcel,JoséM.Hernández,SkipHollandsworth,SergioTroncoso,andCyrusCassells.Thetitlesoftheirwinningworksandawardsappearbelow.Nationallyrecognizednovelist,JohnRechy,willalsoberecognizedattheInstitute’sAnnualAwardsBanquetwiththeLonTinkleLifetimeAchievementAwardforhisentirebodyofwork.TILPresidentCarmenTafollaisespeciallyproudofthe“qualityandthediversityofthisyear’saward-winners,whichrangefromteacherstojournaliststoanastronaut,reflectingsomeoftheexcitingvarietyinauthors’experiences,styles,themes,andgenres.”Inaddition,theTILAwardsWeekendMarch27-28willcelebratetheinductionof19newTILmembers,whichhasinductedinthepastsuchnotablesasCormacMcCarthy,LarryMcMurtry,SandraCisneros,AméricoParedes,VassarMiller,andNtozakeShange.BeinginductedthisspringarepoetsCyrusCassells,EmmyPérez,ire’nelarasilva,andLorettaDianeWalker;award-winningplaywrightsOctavioSolísandReginaTaylor(alsoaGoldenGlobewinner);novelistsGlennBlake,KathleenKent,andNataliaSylvester;bestsellingjournalists/editors/publishersNateBlakeslee,DanGoodgame,andDanWilliams;award-winningsongwritersJamesMcMurtryandRobertEarlKeen;environmentalwriterandeditorAndrewSansom;scholarsAndrewR.GraybillandEmmaM.Pérez;children’sandYAauthorJ.B.(Jessica)Powers;andphoto-historianofaward-winningSouthwesternculturalhistoriesBillWright.

FormoreinformationontheTILoronattendingthisspring’sawardsBanquet,contactpresident@texasinstituteofletters.org.OrseetheTILwebsiteatwww.texasinstituteofletters.org.

TILAWARDWINNERS:

OscarCásares:WinneroftheJesseH.JonesAwardforBestWorkofFiction,forWhereWeComeFrom

Finalists:

*NormaEliaCantú,forCabañuelas

*BryanAllenCarr,forOpioid,Indiana

HollyGeorge-Warren:WinneroftheCarrP.CollinsAwardforBestBookofNon-Fiction,forJanis

Finalists:

*JasonDeParle,forAGoodProviderisOneWhoLeaves

*SteveDavis,forTheEssentialJ.FrankDobie

RonTyler:WinneroftheRamirezFamilyAwardforMostSignificantScholarlyWork,forTheArtofTexas

Finalists:

*AlanGovernar,forTheBluesCometoTexas

*KathrynO’Rourke,forO’NeilFordonArchitecture

BryanWashington:WinnerofTheSergioTroncosoAwardforBestWorkofFirstFiction,forLOT

Finalist:

*KimberlyKingParsons,forBlackLight

*HeatherHarperEllett,forAin’tNobodyNobody

NaomiShihabNye:WinnerofTheHelenC.SmithMemorialAwardforBestBookofPoetry,forTheTinyJournalist

Finalists:

*ChelseaWagenaar,forTheSpinningClass

*ire’nelarasilva,forCuicacalli

LupeMendez:WinnerofTheJohnA.RobertsonAwardforBestFirstBookofPoetry,forWhyIAmLikeTequila

Finalists:

*DeborahD.E.E.P.Mouton,forNewsworthy

*JenniferSperrySteinorth,forAWakewithNineShades

JoséM.Hernández:WinnerofTheTexasInstituteofLettersBestChildren’sPictureBook,forTheBoyWhoTouchedtheStars/Elniñoquealcanzólasestrellas

Finalists:

*MariaIllich,forTheLegendoftheLadybug

*MaríaAlmaGonzálezPérez,for¡TodosaCelebrar!AHispanicCustoms&TraditionsAlphabetBook

RebeccaBalcárcel:WinneroftheJeanFlynnAwardforBestMiddleGradeBook,forTheOtherHalfofHappy

Finalists:

*MeredithDavisandRebekaUwitonze,forHerOwnTwoFeet:ARwandanGirl’sBraveFighttoWalk

*MobiWarren,forTheBeeMaker

RubénDegollado:WinnerofTexasInstituteofLettersBestYoungAdultBook,forThrow

Finalists:

*KathiAppelt,forAngelThieves

*VanessaCaraveo,forValiance

SkipHollandsworth:WinnerofTheEdwin“Bud”ShrakeAwardforBestShortNonfiction,forSabika’sStory

Finalists:

*RodDavis,forMotherCourage

*MichaelHall,forCrowd-sourcingJustice

SergioTroncoso:WinnerofTheKayCattarullaAwardforBestShortStory,forRosaryattheBorder

Finalists:

*WilliamCobb,forTheWall

*RudyRuiz,forLimes

CyrusCassells:WinnerofTheSoeuretteDiehlFraserAwardforBestTranslationofaBook,forStillLifewithChildren:SelectedPoemsofFrancescParcerisas

Finalists:

*JuliaLeverone,forFuelandFire:SelectedPoemsofFranciscoUrondo,1956-1976

*FriedrichChristianDelius,translatedbyRobertCantrick,forThePope’sLeftHand

JohnRechy:Winnerofthe2020LonTinkleLifeAchievementAward,Rechyistheauthoroffourteennovels,threeplays,amemoir,numerousessaysandliteraryreviews,andbookswhichhavebecomemainstaysinthecorecurriculumofChicanoLiterature,AmericanStudies,andGayFiction.CalledbyGoreVidal“OneofthefeworiginalAmericanwritersofthelastcentury”,thefirstnovelisttoreceivePEN-USA-West'sLifetimeAchievementAward,andwinnerofthe2018LambdaLiteraryAward,Rechypublishedhisfirstnovel,CityofNight,in1963.Itbecameanationalbestseller,agroundbreakingdepartureinAmericanliterature.LarryMcMurtrysaidofit,“Probablynonovelpublishedinthisdecadeissocomplete,sowellheldtogether,andsoimportantasCityofNight.”TheWashingtonPostcalledit“oneofthemajorbookstobepublishedsinceWorldWarII.”