UNL center announces Great Plains Distinguished Book Prize

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Center for Great Plains Studies has announced a new book prize. The Great Plains Distinguished Book Prize will be presented each spring to the most significant book devoted to a broad consideration of the Great Plains, whatever its disciplinary perspective.

Only first edition, full-length, nonfiction books will be considered for the award. Nominations may be made by publishers or authors, but no more than five titles by any one publisher may be submitted. Books published in 2005 must be submitted no later than Jan. 16. A panel of judges chosen by the center will select a winner by May.

"The author of the winning book will receive a cash prize of $1,000 and will be invited to travel to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to present a lecture on the topic of the book," said James Stubbendieck, director of the center. "We are excited to offer this interdisciplinary award, which we believe will emphasize the importance of the Great Plains in today's publishing and educational market."

The Center for Great Plains Studies is an interdisciplinary, intercollegiate, regional research and teaching program chartered in 1976 by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. Its mission is to promote a greater understanding of the people, culture, history and environment of the Great Plains through a variety of research, teaching, and outreach programs.

"When my colleague George Wolf and I were asked to develop guidelines for this new book prize, we really wanted to create a significant means to recognize authors from this region," said Fran Kaye, professor of English at UNL and fellow of the center. "This prize should stimulate publishers to seek out and support scholarly research on the Great Plains."

Publishers or authors should submit four copies of each nominated book with a cover letter stating that the book is to be considered for the 2005 Great Plains Distinguished Book Prize. For more information, contact the Center for Great Plains Studies at (402) 472-3082 or visit its Web site (www.unl.edu/plains).

CONTACTS: James Stubbendieck, Director, Center for Great Plains Studies, (402) 472-3082; and
Linda Ratcliffe, Publications Specialist, Center for Great Plains Studies, (402) 472-3965