Announcing the Recipients of the 2024 Village Books Literary Citizenship Award!

The annual Literary Citizenship Award with the first recipients being recognized on Thursday, July 11, 2024 at Village Books, Fairhaven Village, Bellingham, Wash.

Recipients of this award are of diverse backgrounds and professions, but each have demonstrated a commitment to engage with the literary community with the intent of giving as much, if not more so, than they receive. This can take many different forms such as giving back to the literary community in a meaningful way, making yourself available to other writers as time allows to provide your knowledge and expertise, championing other people’s successes, and involving yourself in the local literary landscape of independent bookstores, libraries, and writing organizations.

Village Books, our local independent bookstore (and Chanticleer Authors Conference Book Room Manager) was founded in June 1980 and is a pillar of the pacific northwest writing community.

Village Books Literary Citizenship Award Ceremony
will take place on
Thursday, July 11, 2024 at six o’clock in the evening
at Village Books, Bellingham

All Are Welcome

“Our literary world is a social ecosystem that relies on others: readers, writers, editors, reviewers, publishers, booksellers, and so on. The writing and publishing world is one made of relationships. Writing itself may be a somewhat solitary activity, but once the story or poem is ‘done’ we rely on others to read, share, and publish our work. Yet there are so many levels of participation from others in this community.” ~ Lori May, author of The Write Crowd: Literary Citizenship & The Writing Life

We invite you to join us to honor this year’s Literary Citizenship Award Ceremony recognizing the following three recipients.

Throughout both her personal and professional life, Linda has combined her passions for research and creative writing.

Linda is known for her roles as Library Director for both Whatcom Community College and La Conner Swinomish Library, though it’s her master’s degree in journalism that explains her curious nature to all who know her. An ardent friend to readers and writers, you’ll find Linda present at many book events, and she can always be relied upon to offer insightful questions. She is an active member of Red Wheelbarrow Writers, two book clubs, two critique groups, and you’ll find her work in anthologies including Whatcom Writes annual publications, the Salish Current, I Sing the Salmon Home, and co-editor of 52 Women of Whatcom. Linda helped found both Whatcom Reads and the Chuckanut Writers Conference, community institutions that bring readers and writers together.

Seán Dwyer writes nonfiction and fiction, both novels and stories.

He’s a Spanish professor in the Modern and Classical Languages & Literatures department at Western Washington University, speaks four other languages fluently, and is a songwriter. In 2015, a publisher was waiting for his debut novel manuscript when, in a matter of seconds, Seán’s teaching and writing careers were put on hold. Rear-ended at 50 mph while stopped at a crosswalk, Seán suffered two concussions in two seconds. His memoir, A Quest for Tears, chronicles his recovery from the brain injury that left him unable to read or write for more than a few minutes at a time. Before and since, he’s generously given so much to his community of writers through The Red Wheelbarrow Writers Group, as the president of Whatcom Writers and Publishers, regular contribution to anthologies, and as the ever-supportive host of Village Books’ Open Mics. He has branched out into boutique publishing, and the authors in his list have won multiple awards. Wherever you find him, you’ll experience firsthand his generous spirit.

David always holds true to his first love of Argentine tango, but when he’s not dancing, he writes.

The dance metaphor also holds true in his literary life as it’s a dance of relationships and cooperation. His work has appeared in EWU’s Inroads, WWU’s Suffix, Whatcom Writes, and HamLit but it’s his work with his fellow writers that seems to truly fuel him. He’s worked as the assistant publishing director at Village Books and is the current project manager for The Writers Corner Anthologies, which grew out of his many years as the skillful facilitator of the VB Writes Fiction Writing Group. David helps writers find their voices as an editor and coach and serving as the Communications and Marketing Manager for Chanticleer Book Reviews. He’s a tireless supporter of writers, wherever they are on their journey, and the most frequent question he asks is, “How can I help?”

We’re extra excited to celebrate Chanticleer’s own David Beaumier! David has been with Chanticleer for almost four years, not counting his time interning with us a decade ago. Seán Dwyer is also a usual suspect you can find at Chanticleer events, including our annual authors conference. We’re proud to support such amazing community members! Congratulations again to all recipients!

Village Books’ Literary Citizenship Award celebrates and thanks these three talented and dedicated community builders, community mentors, and community defenders.

They have each demonstrated, in their own unique way, the virtues that embody a Good Literary Citizen. For this, Village Books is awarding $1000 to each of them and hereby induct them into the Village Books Literary Citizen Hall of Fame which will be on permanent display in Village Books, Fairhaven.