Awarded annually for outstanding literature featuring women's stories set in the West, the WILLA Literary Awards are chosen by a distinguished panel of twenty-one professional librarians. Awards will be presented at the 8th Annual Women Writing the West Conference being held at the Brown Palace in Denver October 25th through the 27th. Finalist awards will be presented at the Saturday luncheon and winners will receive trophies in a formal ceremony at the Saturday evening banquet. Keynote speaker for the evening event is acclaimed cowboy poet and entertainer Peggy Godfrey.

2002 WILLA Literary Award Winners and Finalists

Contemporary Fiction

WINNER: This House of Women, Paul Scott Malone
FINALIST: Heart of the Beast, Joyce Weatherford
FINALIST: The Jasmine Trade, Denise Hamilton

Historical Fiction

WINNER: The Good Journey, Micaela Gilchrist
FINALIST: The Water and the Blood, Nancy Turner
FINALIST: The Magic of Ordinary Days, Ann Howard Creel

Non-Fiction

WINNER: Eye of the Blackbird, Holly Skinner
FINALIST: Sarah Winnemucca, Sally Zanjani
FINALIST: I'll Go and Do More, Carolyn Niethammer

Memoir/Essay

WINNER: She Flies Without Wings, Mary D. Midkiff
FINALIST: Mountain Time, Jane Candia Coleman
FINALIST: Standing Up to the Rock, T. Louise Freeman-Toole

Children's/Young Adult

WINNER: Cissy Funk, Kim Taylor
FINALIST: Walk Across the Sea, Susan Fletcher
FINALIST: Boston Jane, Jennifer Holm

Original Paperback

WINNER: Across the Sweet Grass Hills, Gail Jenner
FINALIST: Fragile Treaties, Faye Roberts
FINALIST: Death of a Songbird, Christine Goff

Visit Women Writing the West for more information.