Caitlin Hamilton Summie has won the fourth annual Phillip H. McMath Post Publication Book Award, sponsored by the Arkansas Writers MFA Workshop at the University of Central Arkansas, for her short story collection, To Lay to Rest Our Ghosts (Fomite Press).
Author and literary advocate Phillip H. McMath said, "Caitlin Hamilton Summie writes with that sublime sense of 'place' that is particular and universal, bounded and boundless, known and somewhat new, that great writers have. Whether it is big city, rural or small town, she reveals the same two things wrapped in a slightly different but always poignant package, mutability and the loss of love, and, as she touches one, she resonates the other. Offering just the right detail: 'dog tags,' a 'VW bus named Fred,' 'fish eyes in moonlight,' she tells us everything and leaves the rest where it belongs, in the ever-powerful negative space of the imagination. Caitlin Summie has a very special gift, indeed. Marvelous!"
Summie is known to many in the business as co-owner of the book marketing firm Caitlin Hamilton Marketing & Publicity, founded in 2003.
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An 18-title shortlist in three categories (illustrated books, younger fiction and older fiction) has been announced for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize, which are chosen by the company's booksellers. Category winners, who will be announced March 21, receive £2,000 (about $2,595) and one overall winner will be given an additional £3,000 (about $3,890) as Waterstones Children's Book of the Year. See the complete shortlist here.
Waterstones' children's buyer Florentyna Martin said: "Children's books are firmly at the heart of our shops. Knowledge of their local communities, and the pleasure in recommending the best books to their customers, gives our booksellers a unique and pivotal role in championing new talent. Now, more than ever before, there is real playfulness and creativity noticeable in children's books. This year's list showcases an exploration of wide topics including world-folklore, black history, mental health, refugees and the world around us, through dynamic forms of poetry, fables and sweeping fantasies. It is a truly enthralling time for children's writing, and our booksellers have keenly chosen shortlists that they are inspired to share with readers and, in doing so, recognize the creators who will shape the future of children's stories."