Press Release

Calgary Well Represented at National Literary Awards

June 14, 2008, Calgary, Alberta:

When the third consecutive winner was announced to be from Calgary at The Word Guild Annual Awards in Mississauga, Ont. on Wednesday, June 11, the question rippling through the audience was “What’s in the water in Cow Town?” 

The winners Rosemary Flaaten (A Woman and Her Relationships:Transforming the Way We Connect, - Beacon Hill Press), Annette Stanwick ( Forgiveness: The Mystery and Miracle: Finding Freedom and Peace at Last - Heart Message Publishing) and Russell Corben (Your Money or Your Life: Can You Do Both God’s Way?- Word Alive) are all first time authors who took the risky challenge to put their words down on paper and be published.  Each book submitted to The Word Guild Awards is reviewed by a panel of experts including seasoned editors, authors, psychologists and theologians to choose the top book published by Canadians in 2007.

“It’s an incredible honor to have our work recognized by this national award” says Flaaten.  “When we wrote our books, it was out of a deep inner conviction that the stories we had to tell were not just for ourselves but that the message would have a much larger impact.  Receiving The Word Guild Award gives credence to not only the story but to the quality of its presentation”.

The Word Guild is a national organization with membership of more than 325 writers and editors across Canada and who publish works in a variety of genres.  The Guild’s goal is to impact Canadian culture through the words of Canadian writers and editors with a Christian worldview.  “The whole purpose of our writing contests and Awards Gala is to showcase examples of excellence, and to increase public awareness of the variety and quality of writing by Canadians who are Christian,” commented Wendy Elaine Nelles, co-founder of The Word Guild.

With the closing of several of Calgary’s major bookstores this summer, its encouraging that literary excellence is still on the rise in Calgary.  These books are available at local bookstores and on amazon.ca.