Whitney Awards-And the winners are...

On Saturday, March 22nd, several writers were recognized for their excellence in literary fiction as LDS authors at the Whitney Awards. All of us at yourLDSneighborhood wish to congratulate the winning authors and all of the finalists for the 2007 Whitney Awards.

The Whitney Awards gala was held on the concluding evening of the annual LDS Storymakers Writing Conference, in Sandy, Utah. The Whitney Award has seven contest categories and a Life Time Achievement award. yourLDSneighborhood gave five contest award winners a cash prize of $500 each and awarded an additional $1000 for both Best Novel of the Year and Best Novel by a New Author.

While attending the 2006 LDS Storymakers writing conference, Robison Wells was inspired to begin a program to award great writing and encourage LDS fiction. Robison is now the president of the Whitney Awards Committee

The Whitney Award was named in honor of Elder Orson F. Whitney in reference to his inspirational quote dated 1888.

We will yet have Miltons and Shakespeares of our own.

God’s ammunition is not exhausted. His brightest spirits are held in reserve for the latter times. In God’s name and by His help we will build up a literature whose top shall touch heaven, though its foundations may now be low in earth.

Small things are the seeds of great things, and, like the acorn that brings forth the oak, the snowflake that forms the avalanche, God’s kingdom will grow and on wings of light and power soar to the summit if its destiny.

The winners who soared are:

Best Novel of the Year
On the Road to Heaven
by Coke Newell

Best Novel by a New Author
Dragon Slippers
by Jessica Day George

Best Romance/Women's Fiction
Counting Stars
by Michele Paige Holmes

Best Mystery/Suspense
Sheep’s Clothing
By Josi Kilpack

Best Young Adult/Children
Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star
by Brandon Mull

Best Speculative Fiction
Book of a Thousand Days
by Shannon Hale

Best Historical
Out of Jerusalem, Vol. 4
Land of Inheritance
by Heather B. Moore

Lifetime Achievement Awards
Jennie Hansen, Anita Stansfield, Dean Hughes

The first year for the Whitney Award was a huge success. The Nomination Committee received over 600 nominating entries from readers. The award recipients were extremely grateful. The Whitney has already become a coveted award, undoubtedly encouraging talents out from under bushels and refining gifts to raise the mark of excellence. LDS fiction is a rapidly growing market with many books being recognized by national awards.


The momentum of the Whitney Awards is well described by Annette Lyon, author and co-chair of the 2007 LDS Storymakers Conference:


As the evening wore on, I felt a surging sense of awe and privilege. That night represented the beginning of something very big. And I got to be a small part of it. I even got to be involved a tiny bit in its creation. I was sitting in the middle of a piece of history. The thought was overwhelming. I felt so honored to be in the company of those around me, to bear witness to the birth of something so much bigger than myself, something meaningful, something that I believe Orson F. Whitney himself smiled down upon."

May he keep smiling. Congratulations to all involved in the 2007 Whitney Awards. For more information visit whitneyawards.com