I am pleased thrilled ecstatic to announce that on April 1st I was informed that my YA manuscript about a rower who has a secret romance with her crew coach, CONTROL. CRUSH., won the PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Discovery Award! I’m sure that this was not an April Fools joke because soon after, I began to get wonderful congratulatory notes from other writers in our community whose work I respect and admire.
So what’s the big deal about this award and what is PEN New England anyway? The Susan P. Bloom Children’s Book Discovery Award honors emerging writers and illustrators and is given to a New England resident for an unpublished work. This year, the award was given to TWO emerging writers. I’m so happy to say that I’ll be sharing this award with Katherine Quimby. I’ve known Kathy for many years through SCBWI. Kathy and I share an alma mater, she’s in her third semester at Vermont College of Fine Arts; I graduated in July of 2011 – we’ll share this award!
Kathy and I will read from our manuscripts at the awards ceremony tentatively scheduled for Sunday, May 19th at 6:30 pm at Lesley. If you are in the Boston area, I hope you’ll come. If you’re not able to make it, don’t worry. We’ll both be at the NESCBWI Annual Conference in Springfield. Please stop me and say hello!
As part of the award, our manuscripts will be submitted to a participating publisher. I’m so thankful to the committee for this opportunity to get my work in front of industry professionals. I’ve been on this journey for over ten years – long enough to know that I’d write even if I never got published. Perhaps that’s the moment when things begin to change for a writer. Still, I can tell you that I’ve had plenty of dark and doubting moments when I thought I should just give it all up.
There is something to be said for making your dreams known the universe, for putting yourself out there, for taking a chance. I’d wanted to submit manuscripts for this award for the past three years and missed the deadline. This year, the deadline snuck up on me again. Luckily, through a snafu, I was able to get my work to the committee, and I’m so glad I did! The email about this award came at the perfect time, and I couldn’t be happier.
PEN (poets, playwrights, essayists, editors, and novelists) New England is the most active chapter of PEN American Center which is part of PEN International– a literary community celebrating literature and protecting free expression. “The P.E.N. Club,” founded in London in 1921 by Mrs. C. A. Dawson Scott, a Cornish novelist, and John Galsworthy, a well-known literary figure, was borne out of Mrs. Dawson Scott’s “unshakable conviction that if the writers of the world could learn to stretch out their hands to each other, the nations of the world could learn in time to do the same.”
Creative Chaos 
Congratulations, Anna!
Congratulations! That sounds like so much fun =) It is lovely to read about other authors who succeed, it really gives me hope that I will too one day. I hope the ceremony goes great for you!
Also thanks for mentioning SCBWI. I’m going to have a look if there are others societies like this for the genres I write in. It feels like a great place to make some contacts and share ideas!
Bushels of congratulations for this distinctive honor!
What wonderful news! Heartfelt congratulations!
Congrats! I was one of the winners a few years ago and it was a fantastic experience. In fact, I met my now-agent at the awards reception. 🙂
What a hopeful note. I’m looking forward to the reception!
Congratulations, Anna! That is huge news. Well done!
Way to go Anna! Woo-hoo!
!!!!!!! Congratulations, Anna! Thrilled and happy for you :)! Well deserved.
Anna, can you hear me screaming all the way from New Mexico? Congratulations to you and Kathy from everyone “here” at VCFA! “Here” of course is all over the world, just about. I’m very, very happy for you both.
Wow, you certainly can scream! I can hear you all the way in Maine and it feels “T double E double R double R double I double F double I double C-C-C-C.”
Anna,
CONGRATULATIONS! I’ll spread the word among FSP faculty.
Mary
Mazel tov! My heart sings for you. You so deserve this award.
What a wonderful show of support from the community. Thanks for your notes!!!
Congratulations!!! You should be so proud of this accomplishment. Have a fantastic time at the ceremony. Hope to meet/high five you at NESCBWI, too!
Anna, I could not be more thrilled for you! Congratulations and blessings on you. This wonderful news has made my day.
Huge congratulations, Anna!
So glad to hear this! Congratulations and may the manuscript have a wonderful journey!
So pleased to hear this good news! Congratulations!
Congratulations, Anna!!!!! Well deserved, my friend. Can’t wait to read CONTROL. CRUSH.
Congratulations Anna!
Well-deserved–so happy for you and your manuscript!
So happy, thrilled dancimg for you, Anna! Sorry for the late response….CONGRATULATIONS!!
Kind words are never late. Hugs!!!
Congrats my beautiful and talented cousin!! I’m so happy for you. Would love to read Control. Crush. and hope to see you sometime soon.
Hope that day comes sooner rather than later, Robin. There’s still a long way to go. 🙂
great response well deserved…we are so proud and happy to share good family news! We love you and loved the manuscript. Can’t wait to see it in print…
I love you too, Mom. 🙂
Congratulations, Anna! This is so wonderful. I look forward to congratulating you in person at NESCBWI.
Thank you, Gina! I’ll see you there!