Mystery Writers of America
has chosen Sara Paretsky for this year’s Grand Master Award, which
honors a writer who represents the pinnacle of achievement in mystery
writing and was established to acknowledge important contributions to
this genre, as well as a body of work that is both significant and of
consistent high quality.
Bookstores Once Upon a Crime, Minneapolis, Minn, and Centuries & Sleuths,
Chicago, Ill, were named co-winners of the 2011 Raven Award, which
recognizes outstanding achievement in the mystery field outside the
realm of creative writing.
The awards will be presented at next year's Edgar Awards Banquet in New York City on April 28.
"The
mystery genre took a seven-league stride thanks to Sara Paretsky, whose
gutsy and dauntless protagonist showed that women can be tough guys,
too," said Larry Light, MWA's executive v-p. "Before, in Sara's words,
women in mysteries were either vamps or victims. Her heroine, private
eye V.I. Warshawski, is whip-smart and two-fisted, capable of slugging
back whiskey and wrecking cars, and afire to redress social injustice."
Augie
Alesky, owner of Centuries & Sleuths, said, "I have always wanted a
Raven. The mystery community is such a great place." Alesky said upon
hearing the news.
Pat Frovarp, co-owner (with Gary Schulze) of Once Upon a Crime said, "What a wonderful, wonderful honor!"