Eerdmans Book Wins Murray-Tutu Prize; Tyndale Takes the Fiction List; New Book Award for Small Publishers

by Lynn Garrett, Religion BookLine -- Publishers Weekly, 4/18/2007

Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing has announced that J. Wenzel van Huyssteen has won the inaugural Andrew Murray-Desmond Tutu Prize for Alone in the World? Human Uniqueness in Science and Technology, which Eerdmans published in April 2006. The prize recognizes "the best Christian and Theological book by a South African in any of its official languages." Established by the Board of the Andrew Murray Prize Fund, the prize will be presented by Desmond Tutu himself in ceremony on May 31 in Wellington, South Africa.

Tyndale House is currently dominating the Christian Marketplace Bestsellers List for fiction, holding 10 of the top 20 spots, including #1 with Karen Kingsbury's Forever (Feb.). The book, now in its third printing with 260,000 copies in print, is the fifth and final book in Kingsbury's Firstborn series. Forever is also #1 this month on PW's monthly Paperback Religion list and the CBA Top Fifty Best Sellers for all books, hardcover and paper.

The Christian Small Publishers Association has announced the creation of a new award, the Christian Small Publishers Book of the Year Award. According to the organization, the CSPA Book of the Year Award "is designed to promote small publishers in the Christian marketplace as well as to bring recognition to outstanding Christian books from small publishers" (those with annual revenues of $350,000 or less). CSPA is currently accepting nominations of nonfiction, fiction, and children's titles published in 2006 or 2007, with a deadline of November 15, 2007. In February and March 2008, CSPA will invite Christian retailers to vote to determine the winners. Retailers will also be encouraged to highlight the books they are voting for in their stores during Small Press Month in March. CSPA was established in 2004 and now has 40 members. For more information on the CSPA Book of the Year Award, including guidelines, eligibility, and nomination form, go to www.christianpublishers.net.