Humanities Montana announces Montana Center for the Book relaunch

From Humanities Montana

The Montana Center for the Book is introducing new literary programs and opportunities including up to five annual literary prizes and a new statewide literary events calendar.

The new Montana Center for the Book site features a calendar of literary events taking place across the state. Montana libraries and literary programmers are encouraged to list their events on the page with an easy-to-use online form. The website also features Montana Reads/Montana Writes, a catalog of authors and literature scholars who can be booked for readings, discussions, workshops and lessons by schools, libraries and other community groups.

The Montana Center for the Book Prize is a new annual cash award to recognize and support organizations that celebrate literature and give people increased access to books and writers. The MCB Prize would include a $1,000 cash award presented to each of up to five organizations that offer creative and wide-reaching literary programming. MCB Prize recipients will be featured on the Montana Center for the Book web page and all recipient organization events will be shared on the MCB calendar of events.

In awarding the MCB Prize, the Montana Center for the Book will prioritize geographic diversity with a special emphasis on organizations that reach rural populations. Prizes will be chosen by a Montana Center for the Book advisory committee and the Humanities Montana board of directors. Organizations may nominate themselves for the Prize. The online application form will be available in May.

Humanities Montana has been the sponsor of the Montana Center for the Book since 1999 and has supported book festivals, the national youth letter-writing competition Letters About Literature and the Montana Authors Project interactive literary map, in addition to providing resources for teachers including literature study guides.

Humanities Montana is the state’s independent, nonprofit state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Since 1972, Humanities Montana has provided services and grants to hundreds of Montana organizations in support of public programs in history, literature, civil conversations, and public issues. Among its many programs are its grants, Montana Conversations, Speakers in the Schools, Hometown Humanities, Community Conversations, Letters About Literature, and the Governor’s Humanities Awards.