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Honoring Print's Best

Hartford Courant

September 16, 2009

It is fitting that the Connecticut Book Awards are held in Hartford, home to such literary giants as Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Wallace Stevens. Sunday's ceremony at the Hartford Public Library will be sponsored by the Connecticut Center for the Book, an affiliate of the Library of Congress.

At a time of much anxiety about the future of the printed word in this electronic age, it is heartening that every year, the Center for the Book honors the excellent work of the state's literary community. Much credit goes to impresario Kathleen Lyons, who has done yeoman's work behind the scenes pulling strings to ensure the event's success.

We are proud that former Courant op-ed columnist Bessy Reyna will be presented with an award for Lifetime Achievement in Service to the Literary Community. She's not only a highly regarded poet and memoirist in English and Spanish, but an outstanding teacher who has shared her love of her craft in Hartford public schools and at Hartford Public Library workshops.

The 2 p.m. ceremony is free and open to the public. The keynote speaker will be Tomie dePaola, the much-admired children's author/illustrator and Meriden native. A $45 per-person reception will follow. More information, including a list of the finalists, is available at www.hplct.org.

If you enjoy books and mingling with other aficionados, don't miss this inspiring celebration of Connecticut literature.