FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PROMISING WRITER VAN ROOY WINS JOHN HIRSCH AWARD
WINNIPEG - At Manitoba's literary version of the Oscars this past Saturday night at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, Turnstone Press author Michael Van Rooy won the John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Writer.
Van Rooy has written two serial mystery novels under Turnstone Press's Ravenstone imprint: An Ordinary Decent Criminal (winner of the 2006 Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book by a Manitoba Writer), and Your Friendly Neighbourhood Criminal. He was chosen for the John Hirsch award from a roster of other outstanding writers including Rosanna Deerchild, the evening's winner of the Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry/Prix Lansdowne de poésie, Christina Penner, Daria Salamon, winner of the 2009 Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book, and Adam Smoluk.
"We're very happy to have Michael named most promising Manitoba writer," said Jamis Paulson, Turnstone Press associate publisher. "I haven't met another writer who is as focused and committed to the craft as Michael. It's always a pleasure to work with him."
In addition to his two mysteries, Van Rooy has written for documentaries, magazines, newspapers, and the Internet. Big Mind Films recently optioned An Ordinary Decent Criminal for a full-length feature film. He is currently working on the third installment of the Monty Haaviko mystery series for Ravenstone with plans in the works for a fourth.
Turnstone Press is one of Manitoba's oldest and largest literary publishing companies, with a repertoire of literary fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. It began publishing thrillers and mysteries under the Ravenstone imprint in 1998.
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We hope you will consider publishing an article about Michael Van Rooy. If you would like to arrange an interview with him, or for more information, please contact Todd Besant at Turnstone Press by phone, (204) 947-1555 or by email. If an article results from this correspondence, please mail a tear sheet to the below address.
Todd Besant
Managing Editor
Turnstone Press
Phone: 204-947-1555
Fax: 204-942-1555
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