SIBA Book Award Winners Announced
Columbia, SC - May 30, 2006 The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2006 SIBA Book Award, celebrating the best of southern literature, as picked by independent booksellers throughout the South.

The 2006 Winners are:

FICTION: Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson, Warner Books

“Gods in Alabama is an intriguing, multi-layered mystery wrapped up in a Southern package. Don't miss this one!” Tammy R. Lynn, The Book Basket, Wetumpka, AL

POETRY: What Travels with Us by Darnell Arnoult, LSU Press

“Darnell Arnoult gathers the nourishment for the soul in her poetry. She echoes the past into our future so we know "the place" that we are part of. Immerse yourself in this poetry and wash away all that belongs not to you.” Emoke B'Racz, Malaprops Bookstore & Cafe, Asheville, NC

COOKBOOK:
Being Dead is No Excuse by Gayden Metcalfe & Charlotte Hays, Miramax

"Oh. My. God. If a funeral isn't the time for some good solid southern humor, I don't know what is. These two women have written a funny and smart book about how we act down South when we know the neighbors are watching. Plus recipes! It's to die for!" Elisabeth Grant-Gibson, Windows a bookshop, Monroe, LA

NONFICTION:
Marley & Me by John Grogan, William Morrow

“An incredible tale of canine connection. Grogan will make you laugh, make you cry, and help you to understand that "man's best friend", like all good friends, needs to be appreciated -- warts and all. Even though you know how the book must end, you are in for an incredible journey.” Janet Bollum, The Muse Bookshop, Deland, FL

CHILDRENS:
Rosa by Nikki Giovanni, Henry Holt

“The wonderful Nikki Giovanni brings to life the story of Rosa Parks, an ordinary woman who made a decision that sparked the Montgomery bus boycott and accelerated the struggle for Civil Rights in America. Bryan Collier's realistic yet luminous art lends a dream quality to this beautiful book.” Elisabeth Grant-Gibson, Windows a bookshop, Monroe LA

Each year, hundreds of booksellers across the South vote on their favorite "handsell" books of the year. These are the "southern" books they have most enjoyed selling to customers; the ones that they couldn't stop talking about. The SIBA Book Award was created to recognize great books of southern origin.

Books are nominated in several categories, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, cooking and children's. For a book to be eligible, it must be set in the South, and it must have been published within the 2005 calendar year. In order to promote diversity in the award, no author can win the award in the same category twice.

Winners will be recognized with a $500 prize at the SIBA Book Award Luncheon, sponsored by Baker and Taylor, at the annual SIBA Trade Show in Orlando at the Gaylord Palms Hotel on September 8th, 2006.