2014 Siskiyou Prize Winner: Mary Heather Noble

Ashland Creek Press is pleased to announce that New York Times bestselling author Karen Joy Fowler has chosen Mary Heather Noble’s memoir, PLUMES: ON CONTAMINATION OF HOME AND HABITAT, as the winner of the 2014 Siskiyou Prize.

Of PLUMES, judge Karen Joy Fowler writes, “I was impressed from the first page with both the beautiful writing and careful intelligence of PLUMES.  This book takes on one of our most troubling issues, the increasing toxicity of our polluted world, to creative a narrative that is both personal and universal.  PLUMES neither minimizes the complexities of these issues nor overstates its conclusions, but leaves the reader with much to think about.  An exceptional book.”

Noble is joined by prize finalists Amy Hassinger for her novel, AFTER THE DAM, and Julie Christine Johnson for her novel, THE CROWS OF BEARA.

The Siskiyou Prize for New Environmental Literature honors literary works that focus on the environment, animal protection, ecology, and wildlife. The prize is named for the Klamath-Siskiyou region of northern California and southern Oregon, one of the most diverse eco-regions in the world.  The Klamath-Siskiyou has the highest concentration of Wild and Scenic Rivers in the nation, the largest area of roadless wild lands in the Pacific Northwest, and the tallest old-growth trees on earth.  Due to this large network of still-intact lands, the region is a refuge for fish and other wildlife that struggle for survival in other parts of the world.  Considered a global center of biodiversity, the Klamath-Siskiyou region is an inspiring example of the importance of preservation.

The Siskiyou Prize is open to unpublished, full-length prose manuscripts, including novels, memoirs, short story collections, and essay collections.  Winners receive a cash award of $1,000, an offer of publication from Ashland Creek Press, and a four-week residency at PLAYA.  The 2015 Siskiyou Prize will open in Spring 2015.  Please visit siskiyouprize.com for the full announcement and complete submission guidelines for next year’s contest.

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