Georgia Author of the Year Awards

Bob Wood collecting his GAYA for Poetry

Render was a poetry nominee for the 50th annual Georgia Author of the Year Awards, but it didn't win. However, Robert Wood's The Awkward Poses of Others and Michelle Castleberry's Dissecting the Angel and Other Poems were winner and finalist in the category. I am thrilled for both of them!

Also taking home awards last night were my friends Jessica Handler for her inspirational book Braving The Fire: A Guide to Writing About Grief and Loss; Charles McNair's excellent novel Pickett's Charge was a semi-finalist for fiction; Jody McFerrin's cookbook, FundaMENUS, was a semi-finalist for inspirational; Jim Elledge won for his biography Henry Darger, Throwaway Boy: The Tragic Life of an Outsider Artist; and Terra Elan McVoy won for her young adult novel Criminal. Here's a link to the full list of winners for the 2014 GAYAs.

GCFTB director Joe Davich talks to Shelli Johannes-Wells

Before I went to the GAYA ceremony last night, I was a panelist on a self-publishing seminar (along with Barbara Friend Ish, Shelli Johannes-Wells and Bill Bridges) hosted by Georgia Center for the Book at the Decatur Library. It was the first time GCFTB had delved into self-pub and by the large turnout, it was obvious that writers are interested in learning more. We answered a lot of questions - from editing and formatting to social media and publicity. I've been incredibly lucky to work with great small presses and also have the option to self-pub, like I did with Better To Travel and Kiss Shot, and I hope to continue this well into the future.

As for Render, the opportunities to read and share the poems will continue this fall in London at the Polari reading at Southbank Centre and, just confirmed, the Georgia Literary Festival in Augusta in November. More details soon.