A Winning Tradition

Exactly one year ago, after learning that two Thrums Books publications had won Benjamin Franklin Book Awards given by the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), I wrote, “It’s an honor, and fun, to have the fancy gold and silver stickers and the nifty crystal trophies. But it is the richness of our connection to the artisans whose stories we tell, and their traditions, that make us true winners.”

 

Last weekend, we learned our 2016 book Oaxaca Stories in Cloth won the Benjamin Franklin Gold Award in the Multicultural category and the Silver Award in the photography category and Textile Fiestas of Mexico won the Silver award in the Travel category. The Benjamin Franklin awards recognize excellence in editorial content, photography, and design in over 50 different categories. It is one of the highest national honors for independent publishers.

Honor Roll

 

Just like last year’s winners Maya Threads and Traditional Weavers of Guatemala, this year’s winners also honor textile traditions and the lives of their makers, but I would also like to honor all those who played a role in bringing those stories to life. For Oaxaca Stories in Cloth, that includes, first and foremost, author and photographer Eric Mindling and also editing by Carol Karasik and beautiful, thoughtful design by Michael Signorella.

For Textile Fiestas of Mexico , highest praise to author and photographer Sheri Brautigam, and also contributors Alejandro Aquino and Norma Schafer, and that master of celebratory design, Ann Douden.

Of course none of this would be possible without our extraordinary publisher Linda Ligon who happens to know a thing or two about how to make a book.

Well done, everyone!

—Karen