FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 6, 2021
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Tessa Terry
402-471-3434
800-307-2665
Shortlist for 2022 One Book One Nebraska Announced
What book will all Nebraskans be encouraged to read in 2022? We will all find out on October 23rd. A historical fiction set in the Sandhills, Nonfiction work on refugees resettled in Nebraska, a book of humorous essays on small town life —all stories with ties to Nebraska and the Great Plains—are the finalists for the 2022 One Book One Nebraska statewide reading program. The finalists are:
- The Bones of Paradise by Jonis Agee, William Morrow (2016)
- The Middle of Everywhere by Mary Pipher, Mariner Books (2003)
- It’s Not the End of the Earth But You Can See it From Here by Roger Welsch, Bison Books (1990)
The One Book One Nebraska reading program, now in its eighteenth year, is sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book, Humanities Nebraska, and Nebraska Library Commission. It encourages Nebraskans across the state to read and discuss the same book, chosen from books written by Nebraska authors or that have a Nebraska theme or setting. A Nebraska Center for the Book committee selected the three finalists from a list of twenty-four titles nominated by Nebraskans. In the coming weeks, Nebraska Center for the Book board members will vote on the 2022 selection.
The Celebration of Nebraska Books, on October 23rd, will also honor winners of the 2021 Jane Geske and Mildred Bennett awards. The 2021 Mildred Bennett Award will be presented to Rebecca Faber, the award recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to fostering the literary tradition in Nebraska, reminding us of the literary and intellectual heritage that enriches our lives and molds our world. The 2021 Jane Geske Award will be presented to the Kearney Literacy Council, a Nebraska organization known for exceptional contributions to literacy, books, reading, libraries, and literature in Nebraska. It commemorates Geske’s passion for books, and was established in recognition of her contributions to the well-being of the libraries of Nebraska.
Nebraskans are invited to take part in the Celebration of Nebraska Books on October 23rd, where the choice for the 2022 One Book One Nebraska will be announced. This year’s One Book One Nebraska selection will be featured in a key note presentation by author James J. Kimble on Prairie Forge: The Extraordinary Story of the Nebraska Scrap Metal Drive of World War II (Bison Books, 2014.) See http://onebook.nebraska.gov or https://www.facebook.com/OneBookOneNebraska for more information about ongoing 2021 One Book One Nebraska activities.
The Celebration of Nebraska Books will include readings by the winners of the 2021 Nebraska Book Awards emceed by Nebraska State Poet Matt Mason. A list of Nebraska Book Award winners is posted at http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/awards.html. The Celebration of Nebraska Books is sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book and Nebraska Library Commission with support from History Nebraska’s Nebraska History Museum. Humanities Nebraska provides support for the One Book One Nebraska keynote presentation.
The Nebraska Center for the Book is housed at the Nebraska Library Commission and brings together the state’s readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, publishers, printers, educators, and scholars to build the community of the book, supporting programs to celebrate and stimulate public interest in books, reading, and the written word. The Nebraska Center for the Book is supported by the national Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and the Nebraska Library Commission.
As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, “bringing together people and information.”
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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.