Interlochen Center for the Arts announces shortlist for the inaugural Pattis Family Foundation Creative Arts Book Award
The winner of the $25,000 award will be announced in November.
Autumn Song: Essays on Absence by Patrice Gopo.
The Slip: The New York City Street That Changed American Art Forever by Prudence Peiffer.
Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson
Time's Echo: The Second World War, the Holocaust, and the Music of Remembrance by Jeremy Eichler.
The Traces: An Essay by Mairead Small Staid.
Interlochen Center for the Arts has announced the shortlist for the inaugural Pattis Family Foundation Creative Arts Book Award, a $25,000 prize that recognizes the best literature in the creative arts field.
The shortlisted works, listed alphabetically by title, are:
- Autumn Song: Essays on Absence by Patrice Gopo
- The Slip: The New York City Street That Changed American Art Forever by Prudence Peiffer
- Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson
- Time's Echo: The Second World War, the Holocaust, and the Music of Remembrance by Jeremy Eichler
- The Traces: An Essay by Mairead Small Staid
“The selection committee could not have been more impressed by the variety of submissions nominated for this year’s award,” said Selection Committee Chair and Interlochen Arts Academy Dean of Academics Eric Blackburn. “We are excited to announce this shortlist, which captures that range well. Our selected authors have written outstanding books in a number of different forms–essays, history, criticism, and a novel–all of which center the arts and showcase the power of creative expression to change lives and shape our shared world.”
The winner of the 2024 Pattis Family Foundation Creative Arts Book Award will be announced in November; two runners-up may also be selected. The winning author will receive a $25,000 cash prize and conduct a multi-day residency at Interlochen Arts Academy from April 9-11, 2025. During the residency, the author will take part in an awards ceremony and a public event in nearby Traverse City as part of the 2025 National Writers Series. Among other residency activities are a presentation to the Interlochen Arts Academy community, master classes, and an interview at Interlochen Public Radio.
Established by The Pattis Family Foundation in October 2023, The Pattis Family Foundation Creative Arts Book Award honors fiction or nonfiction books that inspire, illuminate, or exemplify the creative process in fields such as creative writing, dance, film and new media, music, theatre, and visual arts. To learn more about the award, including eligibility requirements and selection criteria, visit interlochen.org/pattis.
About The Pattis Family Foundation
With a history originating from book and magazine publishing, The Pattis Family Foundation of Highland Park, Illinois actively supports programs that elevate the value of the written word and intellectual inquiry. In addition to The Pattis Family Foundation Creative Arts Book Award at Interlochen, The Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award is awarded annually with The Newberry Library and The Pattis Family Foundation Global Cities Award is awarded annually in association with The Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Similar book awards in partnership with other leading organizations and other subject areas will be announced in the future. The Pattis Family Foundation also supports various health, educational, and cultural initiatives as well as programs that help bridge the opportunity gap for talented students with limited financial resources.
About the National Writers Series
Founded in 2010, the National Writers Series is a year-round book festival that has hosted more than 250 authors in Traverse City, Michigan, including New York Times bestselling authors, McArthur "Genius Grant" winners, and National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize winners. Most events take place in the gorgeous, historic Traverse City Opera House. Find out more at nationalwritersseries.org.
