The program gives awards to Indiana authors of new books. The winners across nine categories get the opportunity to speak, connect, inspire and teach at schools, libraries and nonprofits across Indiana.

“People can hear from authors, see authors, and then for themselves think, ‘Hey! I could do that too,’” said Bronwen Carlisle, the special projects manager for Indiana Humanities, which organizes the Indiana Authors Awards.

And that’s exactly what happens, said Indianapolis author John Anderson. Anderson is a 2022 shortlist winner and has participated in the speaker events for the past five years, visiting approximately 20 schools.

“There are always kids that come up and talk to you at the end, and basically their message is the same: I want to be an author, I want to grow up and write books, I want to share my story with the world,” said Anderson. “It’s knowing that you are there in that space and you sort of make that visible to them, that it is possible.”

Helen Frost, an award winner for this year and the author of 11 novels and seven children’s books emphasized the importance of these events for new writers.

“There are a lot of yet-to-be-published writers in Indiana, so doing these programs is a chance for the published writers to be connected with writers still early on in their career,” she said. “So, it’s a way to make all kinds of connections to adults, to published, to not published, to poetry and prose. I just think it’s really just an expansive program in many ways.”

Organizations can apply to have an author come and speak or lead a workshop. Grants pay for all of the primary costs to the host sites, although groups can choose to spend extra money on books, etc. Anderson said this creates the opportunity for children to hear from authors they otherwise would not have access to.

Funded by Glick Philanthropies, these events are free and, except for some schools (check with the organization), open to the public. To find more information on dates and locations use this link:https://www.indianaauthorsawards.org/all-events/