Minnesota Book Awards 25th Anniversary Gala

To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Minnesota Book Awards, a gala was held in in Rochester. The program included readings, music, and discussion with four Minnesota authors. A reception, book sales and signing, as well as a silent auction were also part of the evening. The SELCO program featured a range of authors who spoke about/read from their work, played music, answered audience questions and signed books. Included in the event were: Catherine Friend writes adult nonfiction, fiction, and children’s books. Her book, The Compassionate Carnivore won the Minnesota Book Award in General Nonfiction. Erin Hart is the author of the acclaimed Nora Gavin mystery series, most recently The Book of Killowen. Hart’s debut book in the series, Haunted Ground, was one of the most praised mystery debuts in recent years, followed by Lake of Sorrows and False Mermaid. Paddy O’Brien is regarded by serious players and collectors of Irish traditional music as one of the tradition’s most important repositories. In a musical career that spans more than forty years, he has collected more than 3,000 compositions—jigs, reels, hornpipes, airs, and marches, including many rare and unusual tunes. He is also an author with the publishing of his memoir, The Road from Castlebarnagh. Anton Treuer is editor of the Oshkaabewis Native Journal, the only academic journal of the Ojibwe language and author of nine books, including: Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask, Ojibwe in Minnesota.