Odyssey
Well, the Odyssey, not the Oscar. But as librarian Addie Matteson tweeted (@queenaddie) about the American Library Association Youth Media Awards #ALAYMA, ‘It’s kind of like the Oscars. But for children’s books. And without the fancy dresses. And with lots of coffee.’
So it’s the same thing. Kind of.
The ALA bestowed a number of awards last week in a variety of categories to whooping, raucous crowds of excited librarians (see below). I know this because I’ve seen and heard the webcast. They’re REALLY NOISY. It’s a bit like a cup final. But for children’s books. And without the shorts or the spitting. And maybe because of all that coffee.
The Odyssey Award is for Excellence in Audiobook Production. It is, and I quote, “an annual award jointly administered by to divisions of the American Library Association: YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) and ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children). It is upon the publisher of “the best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States.”
I didn’t know about any of this, being a Brit with no experience in these things who just works like a crazy beast within a stress-filled triangle of paper piles, laptop screens and stroppy teenagers (my own, mainly) in north London.
But the amazing fantabulous news from the US this week is that I WON AN HONOR!
(Time for some raucous cheering again!)
I didn’t win the Odyssey Award itself: that was won by the very awesome Gavriel Savit for Anna and the Swallow Man. But out of 450 audio books submitted, I won one of the three Honors, and that’s amazing, incredible, humbling, and well, a very great honour. With a u. Because I’m English.
Thank you so so much to the Odyssey Award Committee who voted for Dream on, Amber.
This means everything.
Emma Shevah 