TCCL News & Events

Award-winning journalist and internationally renowned author Geraldine Brooks is the winner of the Tulsa Library Trust’s 2009 Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award.

Brooks, a former reporter for The Wall Street Journal and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “March” and best-selling “People of the Book,” will receive the prestigious Helmerich award on Friday, Dec. 4 at a black-tie dinner and will give a free public presentation at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5 at Central Library, Fourth Street and Denver Avenue. This is the 25th anniversary of the award.

At the public presentation, Brooks will speak about her life and works, answer questions from the audience and sign books. Copies of her books will be available for purchasing.

Other works by Brooks include two nonfiction books, “Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women” and “Foreign Correspondence: A Pen Pal’s Journey From Down Under to All Over,” plus her first novel, “Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague,” which was an international best-seller.

To prepare the community for Brooks’ visit to Tulsa, the Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries group is offering a review of Brooks’ works as a part of its popular Books Sandwiched In series from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 30 at Central Library in Aaronson Auditorium. Donna Farrior, a member of the Distinguished Author Selection Committee, will present “A Geraldine Brooks Sampler.”

Also, an exhibit showcasing Brooks’ life and writings will be on display through Dec. 6 on the second floor of Central Library.

The Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award consists of a $40,000 cash prize and an engraved crystal book. The award originated in 1985. Previous award winners are Michael Chabon, Thomas Keneally, Mark Helprin, John Grisham, Shelby Foote, Joyce Carol Oates, William Kennedy, William Manchester, Margaret Atwood, E.L. Doctorow, Dr. John Hope Franklin, Neil Simon, David McCullough, Ray Bradbury, Peter Matthiessen, Norman Mailer, Eudora Welty, John le Carré, Saul Bellow, Toni Morrison, John Updike, Larry McMurtry and Norman Cousins.

For more information about the Helmerich Award, visit www.helmerichaward.org or call 596-7977.

Newbery Medal-winning author Phyllis Reynolds Naylor is the winner of the Tulsa Library Trust’s 2010 Anne V. Zarrow Award for Young Readers’ Literature. She will accept her award at a public presentation at Central Library, Fourth Street and Denver Avenue, Aug. 27, 2010.

Growing up during the Great Depression in the Midwest, Naylor discovered her imaginative inner voice at an early age. Her creative writing pursuits began in elementary school and quickly led to a paid writing assignment. At 16, a Sunday school teacher asked her to write a story for their church newsletter. Naylor turned in “Mike’s Hero,” and received a $4.67 check.

After graduation Naylor attended community college and worked as a secretary and magazine editor. Before nearly deciding to become a clinical psychologist, she dedicated her time to her first passion, writing.

Her first children’s book, “The Galloping Goat and Other Stories,” was published in 1965. From there, her writing career accelerated to include more than 125 books for children and teens. In 1992, she was awarded the Newbery Medal for “Shiloh,” about the bond between a boy and his newly-found stray dog. To complete the trilogy, she released “Shiloh Season” and “Saving Shiloh.” Each book was turned into a successful movie.

Naylor says that she uses her personal stories and sights from her everyday world as inspiration for her prolific writing career. The idea for “Shiloh” came when she found an abused, feral dog in West Virginia. Her bestselling book, “The Grand Escape” began with a trip to the veterinarian for her cat, who was thought to have a tumor. An x-ray revealed the trouble as only 40 feet of Christmas ribbon and 11 rubber bands.

Other books by Naylor include the “Alice” series, “Cat Pack” series, “The Boys Start the War” series, “The Witch Saga” series and the “Besseldorf Mysteries.” Each series of books features the challenges of children overcoming adversity while learning to understand their individual strengths.

The Anne V. Zarrow Award for Young Reader’s Literature gives formal recognition, on behalf of the Tulsa County community, to a nationally acclaimed author who has made a significant contribution to the field of literature and young adults. The award consists of a $7,500 cash prize and an engraved crystal book.

For more information on the Zarrow Award or other library programming, call the AskUs Hotline, 596-7977, or visit the library’s Web site, www.tulsalibrary.org.