Albuquerque writer Christine Barber wins Hillerman Prize
Albuquerque, NM -- WORDHARVEST Writers Workshops and Thomas Dunne Books have announced that Christine Barber’s novel "The Replacement Child" has won the first Tony Hillerman Prize. The announcement came at the fourth annual Tony Hillerman Writers Conference: Focus on Mystery held in Albuquerque, N.M. Nov. 1-4
The Tony Hillerman Prize will be awarded annually to the best unpublished mystery set in the Southwest written by a first-time author. "The Replacement Child" will be published by the Thomas Dunne Books/ St. Martin’s Minotaur imprint in the fall of 2008. Barber received a $10,000 advance.
"The Replacement Child" is set in Santa Fe, N.M. and draws upon Barber’s experiences working for local newspapers and as a volunteer EMT/firefighter with Santa Fe County. Barber was an editor at the Santa Fe New Mexican for ten years and has also worked for the Albuquerque Journal and the Gallup Independent. Barber credits Tony Hillerman’s novels with inspiring her to move to New Mexico from Florida. She lives in Albuquerque.
Anne Hillerman, Tony Hillerman’s daughter, launched the first Tony Hillerman Writers Conference: Focus on Mystery in 2004 through the business which she co-founded, WORDHARVEST Writers Workshops. Jean Schaumberg, a former bookstore owner, is the co-founder. The conference highlights writing by Southwestern authors.
Tony Hillerman’s Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee mysteries, set on the Navajo reservation, were the first “regional” mysteries to become national bestsellers. His work has been praised by reviewers and the Navajo Nation for its ability to combine Navajo traditions and beliefs with a well-told mystery story. Hillerman’s writing reflects his appreciation for the natural wonders and stark beauty of the American Southwest and its people, particularly the Navajo. His books have been translated into many languages and frequently make the New York Times bestseller list.
Thomas Dunne Books and St. Martin’s Minotaur are imprints of St. Martin’s Press, which is a subsidiary of Macmillan.
For more information or interviews please contact Hector DeJean at 646-307-5560 or hector.dejean@stmartins.com. For information on WORDHARVEST and the Hillerman conference, please contact Anne Hillerman or Jean Schaumberg at Wordharvest@wordharvest.com
The 2007 contest received about 150 submissions from writers throughout the United States. The deadline for submissions to next year’s competition will be July 1, 2008. For complete guidelines, please visit http://www.thomasdunnebooks.com/ or http://www.hillermanconference.com/
Connie Gotsch www.conniegotsch.com Host Write On Four Corners KSJE FM, Farmington NM www.ksje.com Author two award winning novels Snap Me a Future and A Mouthful of Shell available www.dlsijpress.com
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