JA Journalist to Receive Governor's Writers Award

Evelyn Iritani will be honored by Washington Gov. Mike Lowry.

Japanese American writer Evelyn Iritani is among 10 Washington authors from around the state who will be honored by Gov. Mike Lowry and Mary Lowry Oct. 27 as the winners of the 1995 Governor's Writers Awards.

The 30th annual awards event is sponsored by the Washington State Library and the Washington Commission for the Humanities.

Iritani, a writer for the Los Angeles Times, won for her book, "An Ocean Between Us: The Changing Relationship of Japan and the United States, Told in Four Stories From the Life of An American Town," published by New York's Morrow Books last year.

The awards ceremony will feature readings and comments from the winners, which include a diverse group of biography, history and fiction authors: previous award winners Ursula Hegi and Lensey Namioka, journalists Eric Nalder and children's author Nancy Luenne, architect T. William Booth, fiction writer Rebecca Brown, science writer Sharon McGrayne and historians Jack Nisbet and Charles Twining.

Also, the Nancy Blankenship Pryor Award honoring unique contributions to the literacy culture of Washington State will be presented to the University of Washington Press in recognition of the 75th anniversary of the press and to acknowledge the contributions of four long-term staff members.

The public is invited to attend the free event, which begins at 7p.m. Friday, Oct27, on the main stage of Bibliomania, the Northwest Bookfair. In addtion to the awards presentation, the evening will include music by Ham Carson Trio and the emcee wil1 be Sherman Alexie.

At a reception following the presentation, the authors will be avaiiable to talk with audience members.

The Governor's Writers Awards ceremony and reception is supported by the University of Washington Press and the Washington State University Press and the Thomas Kemper Soda Company.