Tomas Transtromer, a Swedish poet who has written more than 15 collections of poetry, was named the winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature today. His poems have translated into English and 60 other languages. Julie Bosman from the New York Times wrote a profile on Transtromer saying, “Critics have praised Mr. Transtromer’s poems for their accessibility, even in translation; his descriptions of the long Swedish winters, the rhythm of the seasons and the palpable, atmospheric beauty of nature.” Read the full story here. The University of Nebraska Press congratulates Transtromer, even though his win breaks our streak — … Continue reading 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature

The results are in and two UNP books have been named winners for the 2011 Nebraska Book Award! Lamb Bright Saviors by Robert Vivian won the Fiction Award, and Stolen Horses by Dan O'Brien won the Fiction Honor Award. Lamb Bright Saviors follows several troubled young men, a wandering preacher, and his young assistant, whose lives intersect for a few hours on a desolate Nebraska farmstead. Stolen Horses takes readers to McDermot, Nebraska, a pleasant, scenic western cattle town situated in the Pawnee River valley, as a local journalist uncovers a medical scandal epitomizing the problems facing the community. Award … Continue reading Nebraska Book Award winners

UNP author and sports journalist, Ron Thomas, is the recent recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Sports Journalism given by Sport in Society and the Northeastern University School of Journalism. He is receiving this award based on the articles he has written over the last 38 years, as well as his book, They Cleared the Lane (University Nebraska Press, 2002). They Cleared the Lane tells the story of what basketball was really like for the first black NBA players, including recent Hall of Fame inductee Earl Lloyd, and early superstars such as Maurice Stokes and Bill Russell. … Continue reading Lifetime achievement award

The ForeWord Book of the Year Awards have been announced, and two of our books were winners. Stolen Horses by Dan O’Brien won silver in the Fiction-General category, and Quotidiana by Patrick Madden took bronze in the Essays category. Stolen Horses describes the conflict between long-time residents and affluent newcomers in the ranch town of McDermot, Nebraska. McDermot is an ideal place for those who want to escape from their hectic city lives, but the town means something very different to these people than it does to its original inhabitants. This disagreement between new and old interests escalates, leading to … Continue reading UNP ForeWord Book of the Year Award Winners

Last night, the Mystery Writers of America announced the winners of the 2011 Edgar Allan Poe Awards in New York City. And the best fact crime award went to… Scoreboard Baby: A Story of College Football, Crimeand Complicity by Ken Armstrong and Nick Perry. Rob Taylor was there to accept the award on behalf of the University of Nebraska Press and the authors. Check out the press release here for the other winners. Congrats guys! Continue reading An Edgar Award

1921: The Yankees, the Giants, and the Battle for Baseball Supremacy in New York by Lyle Spatzand Steve Steinberg takes place at the dawn of the roaring twenties whenbaseball was struggling to overcome two of its darkest moments: the death of a player during a Major League game and the revelations of the 1919 Black Sox scandal. At this critical juncture for baseball, two teams emerged to fight for the future of the game. They were also battling for the hearts and minds of New Yorkers as the city rose in dramatic fashion to the pinnacleof the baseball world. 1921 … Continue reading Winner of the Seymour Medal