The Judy Gaines Young Book Award is given annually by

Transylvania University Transylvania University is a private university in Lexington, Kentucky. It was founded in 1780 and was the first university in Kentucky. It offers 46 major programs, as well as dual-degree engineering programs, and is accredited by the Southern ...

to honor the author of a book of distinction written in the

Appalachia Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ca ...

n region in the previous two or three years. The award was endowed in 2015 by Dr. Byron Young, a Lexington-area professor and neurologist, in honor of his late wife. The program is currently coordinated by Transylvania Professor of English Martha Billips and Poet-in-Residence

Maurice Manning Maurice Manning (born 14 June 1943) is an Irish academic and former Fine Gael politician. Manning was a member of the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) for 21 years, serving in both the Dáil Éireann, Dáil and the Seanad Éireann, Seanad. Since Aug ...

Winners

* 2015 - Holly Goddard Jones for ''The Next Time You See Me'' * 2016 - Amy Greene for ''Long Man'' * 2017 -

Crystal Wilkinson Crystal E. Wilkinson is an African-American feminist writer from Kentucky, and proponent of the Affrilachian Poet movement. She is the winner of a 2022 NAACP Image Award, a 2020 winner of the USA Fellow of Creative Writing, and a 2021 O. Henry Pr ...

for ''The Birds of Opulence'' * 2018 - Kathleen Driskell for ''Next Door to the Dead'' * 2019 - Silas House for ''Southernmost'' * 2020 -

Frank X Walker Frank X Walker (born June 11, 1961) is an African-American poet from Danville, Kentucky. Walker coined the word "Affrilachia", signifying the importance of the African-American presence in Appalachia: the "new word ... spoke to the union of Appal ...

for ''Last Will, Last Testament''

Past Nominees

2015

* Ron Houchin for ''The Man Who Saws Us in Half'' * George Ella Lyon for ''Many-Storied House'' * Jeff Daniel Marion for ''Letters to the Dead'' * Allison Seay for ''To See the Queen'' * Lee Smith for ''Guests on Earth''

2016

* Robert Gipe for ''Trampoline'' (first nomination) * T.J. Jarrett for ''Zion'' * Jeremy B. Jones for ''Bearwallow'' * Denton Loving for ''Crimes Against Birds'' *

George Ella Lyon George Ella Lyon (born April 25, 1949, in Harlan, Kentucky) is an American author from Kentucky, who has published in many genres, including picture books, poetry, juvenile novels, and articles. Biography George Ella Lyon was born April 25, 194 ...

for ''What Forest Knows''

2017

Lee Smith Lee Smith is the name of: Arts, entertainment and media *Lee Smith (fiction author) (born 1944), American author of fiction *Lee Smith (film editor) (born 1960), Australian film editor *Lee Smith (musician) (born 1983), American drummer *Lee Smith ...

for ''Dimestore''

2018

* Darnell Arnoult for ''Galaxie Wagon'' * Robert Gipe for ''Trampoline'' (second nomination) * Mark Powell for ''Small Treasons'' *

Mary Ann Taylor-Hall Mary Ann Taylor-Hall (born 1937) is an American fiction writer and poet. She is the author of two novels, a book of short fiction, three collections of poetry, and has published widely in literary journals. She has lived on a farm in Kentucky fo ...

for ''Out of Nowhere''

References

External links

*{{official, https://libguides.transy.edu/JudyGainesYoung American literary awards Transylvania University Appalachian culture Awards established in 2015