Category: Sarasvati

This year, for the first time, ASWM offered book awards in three categories: nonfiction, fiction and poetry.  The award series is named for Sarasvati, Hindu goddess of the arts and creativity.   Judges for the fiction and poetry awards were bookstore owner Barbara Criswell of Aquarius Books in Kansas City, and ASWM board members Patricia Monaghan and Maureen Aakre Ross.

Winner of the fiction award was Elizabeth Cunningham for Red-Robed Priestess (Monkfish Press), the final volume of a four-part series.  In making their decision, the judges praised the book’s strong female figures, especially the leading character, Maeve, who was described as “embodying the passions and challenges of any woman’s life.”  They also praised the author’s inventive yet respectful use of various mythologies and religious traditions, including Celtic and Christian.  “Although this award is for a single book,” the judges added in their commendation, “this award also recognizes the three volumes of the Maeve series that have gone before and have served as mileposts in the literature of women’s spirituality.”

Winner of the poetry award was Annie Finch for Among the Goddesses (Red Hen Press).   In making their decision, the judges praised the poet’s penetrating connection of mythic figures with contemporary women’s issues as well as the bold centralizing of the conflicted issue of abortion at the book’s center.

The crafted narrative that links the individual poems was also singled out for praise by judges who noted that “the American reading public is less comfortable with non-narrative forms, so providing a strong story that draws the reader through the book was a decision that opened this intensely-crafted work to more readers.”  Yet the individual poems themselves were also praised as “high-caliber and high-octane poems in diverse voices” as well as “breaking away from the overwhelmingly self-centering personal voice that limits much contemporary poetry, while retaining the immediacy of dialogue.”  A final unique quality praised by the judges was the potential of the work for public performance, which opens the work to larger audiences as well as to collaboration with artists in other media.

Sarasvati Awards for Best Books in Women and Mythology

The Association for Study of Women and Mythology announces the first biennial competition for the Sarasvati Awards for Best Books in Women and Mythology.  Two awards will be given at the ASWM national conference in San Francisco in May, one for nonfiction/scholarly work, one for creative work in poetry, fiction or other genre, for books published during 2010 and 2011.

Books must be published in print, not only in e-book format. Nominations must come directly from publisher; authors should contact their publishers to ask them to nominate for this award.  Each publisher may nominate one work in each category, although publishers may nominate in only one category if they prefer.  At this point, anthologies do not qualify for this award.  Publishers should contact ASWM at SarasvatiAwards@gmail.com to receive required submissions form and details of submissions process.

Judges will be a panel of published writers in women and mythology.  Their own work cannot be accepted for consideration for these awards.

Awardees will be invited to read at the ASWM national conference during the year of their award and/or the next biannual meeting following.