Six Montana writers sweep the 2019 High Plains Book Awards

Press release

Six Montanans were among the 11 award winners chosen from a record 228 nominations in the 2019 High Plains Book Awards. The winners were announced at the 13th annual awards banquet on Oct. 12 in Billings. Other winners were from Wyoming, South Dakota, Colorado, New York state and Manitoba, Canada.

The six Montana authors were David Quammen, Thomas McGuane, Danell Jones, Maxim Loskutoff, Chris La Tray and Rodney Gottula. Other winners were Susan Devan Harness of Colorado and Susan Henderson of New York, both of whom won awards in two separate categories, and Sara Henning of South Dakota, Dr. Peter H. Hassrick of Wyoming and Colleen Nelson of Manitoba. Quammen was also chosen as the winner of the Big Sky Award, new this year. The award is for the overall best book by a Montana author.

The criteria for the awards require that the literary works reflect life on the High Plains or that the author resides in the region. Winners received $500 and a plaque. Here are the categories and winners:

Art & Photography: Dr. Peter H. Hassrick, “Albert Bierstadt: Witness to a Changing West,” sponsored by the Yellowstone Art Museum

Short Stories: Tie — Thomas McGuane, “Cloudbursts: Collected and New Stories,” and Maxim Loskutoff, “Come West and See: Stories,” sponsored by The Writer’s Voice

Creative Non-Fiction: Susan Devan Harness, “Bitterroot: A Salish Memoir of Transracial Adoption,” sponsored by Kathy and Doug James

Nonfiction: Danell Jones, “An African in Imperial London: The Indomitable Life of A.B.C. Merriman-Labor,” sponsored by the Billings Public Library Foundation

Children’s Book: Rodney Gottula, “Double! Not Half,” sponsored by Robert and Susan Lubbers

Indigenous: Susan Devan Harness, “Bitterroot: A Salish Memoir of Transracial Adoption,” sponsored by Montana State University Billings Library

Women Writers: Susan Henderson, “The Flicker of Old Dreams,” sponsored by Zonta Club of Billings

Poetry: Sara Henning, “View from True North,” sponsored by Ucross Foundation

Medicine and Science: David Quammen, “Tangled Tree: A Radical New History of Life,” sponsored by the Billings Clinic Foundation

First Book: Chris La Tray, “One-Sentence Journal: Short Poems and Essays from the World At Large,” sponsored by Montana State University Billings

Young Adult: Colleen Nelson, “Sadia,” sponsored by Fortin Foundation

Fiction: Susan Henderson, “The Flicker of Old Dreams,” sponsored by the Friends of Billings Public Library

The High Plains Book Awards were established to recognize regional authors and or literary works that examine and reflect life on the High Plains including the states of Montana, North and South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado and Kansas. The Canadian Provinces of Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan are also represented.

Each nominated book was read by four different community volunteers for a total of over 200 readers. The top three finalists in each category are then judged by previous winners or those writers who have significant connections to the High Plains region.

Nominations will be accepted starting in January 2020 on the website at http://www.highplainsbookawards.org .

The High Plains Book Awards are held in conjunction with the High Plains BookFest.