WNBA Award winners have been announced. This year, the centennial year of the organization, two women recipients were chosen. The WNBA has selected the current librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden; and novelist, poet, and bookstore owner Louise Erdrich.
The WNBA Award is presented every other year to “a living American woman who derives part or all of her income from books and allied arts, and who has done meritorious work in the world of books beyond the duties or responsibilities of her profession or occupation.” The award has been presented continuously since 1940, originally every year and since the mid-1970s, biennially.
This year, in commemoration of the WBNA’s Centennial, the organization is honoring two women who represent the wide spectrum of women in the book world—one woman involved in the business or dissemination of books and one in the creation of them.
Hayden was selected due to her commitment to making libraries relevant to the world, responsive to the trends of their times, and vital parts of the communities they serve. Erdrich was selected due to her dedication to adding to the complex narrative of American culture, to giving voice to indigenous peoples, and to supporting the importance of independent bookstores, through her own store, Birchbark.
The history and recipients of the WNBA Award will be celebrated and recognized at the WNBA’s Centennial Celebration to take place on Saturday, October 28th in New York City at Pen + Brush.
Press Release Announcing 2017 Winners