On Saturday evening, October 6, 2018, WNBA New Orleans presented the annual Pinckley Prizes for Crime Fiction at the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center in New Orleans. The event recognizes two writers for Distinguished Body of Work and for Debut Novel in the crime fiction genre. The prizes were created in 2012 to honor Diane Pinckley, a WNBA member who died that year of cancer at the age of sixty. The communications strategist, community activist, and crime fiction columnist for the Times-Picayune for twenty-three years loved the written word and books. But mysteries and crime fiction were her passion. As chapter member Susan Larson observed, Pinckley also loved to discover new writers. Thus the Pinckley Prizes for Crime Fiction were born, established by the New Orleans chapter of the WNBA.
Distinguished Body of Work Winner
This year’s prize winner for Distinguished Body of Work is Ellen Hart, who has published thirty-two books. Starting in 1989, she created the series featuring lesbian restaurateur Jane Lawless. More recently she has introduced her readers to the Sophie Greenway series.
Debut Novel Winner
The prize winner for Debut Novel is Marcie Rendon for Murder on the Red River. As a member of the White Earth Nation, the problems facing Native Americans informs Marcie’s poetry, plays, and nonfiction writing. In her debut novel, she introduces Cash, a member of the White Earth Nation, whose travels lead her into a murder mystery and more.
Prizes
Hart joins previous winners for Distinguished Body of Work, including Laura Lippman, Nevada Barr, Sara Paretsky, and Louise Penny. Rendon joins Gwen Florio, Adrianne Harun, Christine Carbo, and Trudy Nance Boyce for Debut Novel. The winners each receive a $2500 cash prize and a paper rosette fashioned from the pages of their books by New Orleans artist Yuka Petz.
The Pinckley Prizes are supported by an endowment from Pinckley’s college roommate and longtime friend, Anne Newton, and her husband, Bill, who were present at the ceremony to share their remembrances. Other major supporters are Pinckley’s journalist/author husband, John Pope, local author, Randy Fertel, Women of the Storm, and Zehno Cross Media Communications.
Submissions for the 2019 Prize for Debut Novel are now open.
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