MWA chooses Dorothy Gilman as its 2010 Grand Master

In a December 9, 2009 release to its members,  Mystery Writers of America (MWA) revealed its selection of Dorothy Gilman, creator of the Mrs. Pollifax mystery series, as the organization's 2010 Grand Master. MWA gives its Grand Master Award to those mystery writers with works that are of consistently high quality who have made important contributions to the mystery genre.

Dorothy Gilman, author of the Mrs. Pollifax mystery series,
has been selected as the 2010 MWA Grand Master.

Past MWA Grand Masters have included James Lee Burke, Sue Grafton, Bill Pronzini, Stephen King, Marcia Muller, Dick Francis, Mary Higgins Clark, Elizabeth Peters, Donald Westlake, Lawrence Block, P.D. James, Ellery Queen, Daphne du Maurier, Alfred Hitchcock, Graham Greene, and Agatha Christie. Gilman viewed her admittance to this group as "a lovely surprise."

"The list of past Grand Masters is like a Who's Who of the great mystery writers of the last century," Gilman stated. "To be chosen for this award by my professional peers has to be the greatest honor of my 60 years as an author."

Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax series has as its central character Emily Pollifax, a widowed grandmother who becomes an unlikely but very effective spy. Gilman authored fourteen novels in this series, from The Unexpected Mrs Pollifax (1966) through Mrs. Pollifax Unveiled (2000).

In acknowledging Gilman's contributions to the mystery genre, Frankie Y. Bailey, Executive Vice President of MWA, said,"During her long writing career, Dorothy Gilman has helped to shape the mystery genre. MWA is delighted to have this opportunity to honor Ms. Gilman for her work, including the 'unexpected Mrs. Pollifax,' a widow past her youth, whose curiosity, humor, and humanity make her a protagonist that readers of all ages have enjoyed accompanying on her exotic adventures."

Mystery Writers of America will present Gilman with its Grand Master Award at its Edgar Awards Banquet, which will be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City on Thursday, April 29, 2010. Two other awards whose recipients were announced in the December 9, 2009 MWA release will also be made at that time. MWA will present Raven Awards, which celebrate outstanding achievement in the mystery field other than creative writing, both to Broadway producer Zev Buffman and to the Mystery Lovers Bookshop. Barbara Peters and Robert Rosenwald, owners of Poisoned Pen Press, will receive the 2010 Ellery Queen award, given to editors or publishers in recognition of their support of the mystery genre.