Portland author L.K. Madigan was recently
awarded the William C. Morris award for a
debut YA novel. Photo: L.K. Madigan.
It was an early morning in Portland when local author L.K. Madigan got the call that she’d won the William C. Morris Award, which honors a debut novel from a first-time author writing for Young Adults.
“I received a phone call from the Morris panel of librarians,” Madigan said. “They had me on speakerphone so rather than just one person listening to me cry … they all got to hear my crazy incoherent sounds.”
The William C. Morris is awarded annually during YALSA’s 2010 Youth Media Awards to a debut novel in Young Adult literature for "celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature." It ranks amongst other notable awards such as the Caldecott and the Newberry Awards, known for decades for highlighting outstanding literature for kids and teens.
Madigan’s win last month for her debut novel Flash Burnout is definitely worth bragging about. She also won against some stiff competition. The other four books nominated were Ash by Malinda Lo, Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, The Everafter by Amy Huntley, and hold still by Nina LaCour.
L.K. Madigan's debut novel 'Flash Burnout' was honored
with the 2010 Morris Award. Photo: Houghton Mifflin.
“I’m not sure of the process that the librarians undergo to choose the five finalists,” Madigan said. “I just know I got a phone call at work from my editor one day, telling me Flash Burnout was a finalist. I was floored.”
Of course, not one to brag, Madigan admits she was actually pulling for another book to win the Morris award.
“I was pulling for Ash,” she admitted, having worked with author Malinda Lo in the online community Feast of Awesome, for 2009 debut authors.
“Honestly, I’m just glad I was not on the Morris panel,” she said. “I would have sat silently in a corner, hoping no one asked me to vote.”
Madigan’s novel Flash Burnout is available in stores everywhere. Her second novel, The Mermaid’s Mirror is due out later this year.
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