POETS & WRITERS IS MORE than a magazine. We are a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving creative writers. We pay fees to writers giving readings and leading workshops, provide information and advice to authors, and help them connect with one another and with audiences. We also sponsor a number of awards and prizes. Learn more at pw.org.
Be Brave, Be Kind
On March 8, Poets & Writers celebrated the contributions writers make to our culture at its annual fund-raising dinner, “In Celebration of Writers.”
Chaired this year by Shawn Morin, CEO and president of Ingram Content Group, the event raised $530,000 to support Poets & Writers’ programs and publications. More than four hundred guests attended, including representatives of every aspect of the book business—from printers and distributors to agents and editors, publishers and booksellers, as well as, of course, dozens of poets and writers. Jane Alexander, actress, author, and former chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, served as the master of ceremonies.
The 2017 Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Awards were presented to three authors who have given back to the literary community. Novelist Ann Patchett was noted for volunteering for numerous literary organizations, along with her efforts to bring readers and writers together. Novelist and essayist Francisco Goldman was recognized for helping to elevate the work of women writers from Latin America, particularly through the Aura Estrada Prize, which he created in memory of his wife, who passed away in 2007. Richard Shelton was honored for his dedication to leading writing workshops for incarcerated men in Arizona, a project he has faithfully pursued for more than four decades.
The 2017 Editor’s Award was presented to Fiona McCrae and Jeff Shotts of Graywolf Press. The award recognizes book editors who have made an outstanding and sustained contribution to the publication of poetry or literary prose. Poet Vijay Seshadri, a member of Poets & Writers’ Writers Council, offered an appreciation of the duo.
Patchett captured the spirit of the evening when she urged all assembled to “be brave and be kind.” For more about the event and the honorees, visit at.pw.org/2esAhif.