Charles Erskine Scott Wood Distinguished Writer Award
C.E.S. Wood (1852-1944) was a writer, poet, soldier, lawyer, orator, bibliophile, social critic, painter and patron of the arts. He is known for his satirical work Heavenly Discourse and The Poetry in the Desert. The Charles Erskine Scott Wood Distinguished Writer Award is presented to an Oregon author in recognition of an enduring, substantial literary career.

Stewart H. Holbrook Literary Legacy Award
Stewart Holbrook (1893-1964) was the Pacific Northwest’s foremost storyteller, one of the nation’s most popular historians and a humorous social critic. Among the best known of his 35 books are The Age of Moguls, The Columbia, Holy Old Mackinaw and Lost Men of American History. The Steward H. Holbrook Literary Legacy Award is presented to a person or organization in recognition of significant contributions that have enriched Oregon’s literary community.

Walt Morey Young Readers Literary Legacy Award
A man who created deeply loved books for young readers, Walt Morey (1900-1992) is known worldwide for his book, Gentle Ben. Other books include Home is the North, Kavik the Wolf Dog, Runaway Stallion, Gloomy Gus, Year of the Black Pony, Scrub Dog of Alaska and Deep Trouble. The Walt Morey Young Readers Literary Legacy Award is presented to a person or organization in recognition of significant contributions that have enriched Oregon’s young readers.

Special Award Winners

Charles Erskine Scott Wood Distinguished Writer Award
This award is presented to an Oregon author in recognition of an enduring, substantial literary career.

2005
(No recipient)

2004
(No recipient)

2003
George Hitchcock (Harrisburg), poet, writer, teacher and editor of kayak magazine

2000 – 2002
(No recipient)

1999
Ken Kesey (Pleasant Hill), writer

1998
Priscilla Knuth, librarian

1997
(No recipient)

1996
Eloise Jarvis McGraw (Portland), children’s writer

1995
Damon Knight (Eugene), science fiction writer

1994
Early Pomeroy (Eugene), historian

1993
Alvin M. Josephy, Jr. (Joseph), historian and founder of Fishtrap

1992
Terence O’Donnell (Portland), historian and lecturer

1991
Walt Morey (Sherwood), author

1990
Janet Stevenson (Hammond), writer and civic leader

1989
Vi Gale (Portland), poet and publisher, Prescott Street Press

1988
Dr. Dorothy Johansen (Portland), historian and Reed College professor

1987
George Belknap (Eugene), bibliographer and editor, University of Oregon

Stewart H. Holbrook Literary Legacy Award
This award is presented to a person or organization in recognition of significant contributions that have enriched Oregon’s literary community.

2007
Kim Stafford (Portland)

2006
Paulann Petersen (Portland)

2005
Barbara LaMorticella (Portland), editor and co-host of KBOO’s “The Talking Earth”

2004
David Milholland (Portland), co-founder of the Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission
2003
David Hedges (Portland), literary activist and past president of the Oregon State Poetry Association

2002
Carla Perry (Newport), founder and director of Nye Beach Writers’ Series

2001
Erik Muller (Eugene), co-founder of the literary magazine Fireweed and president of the Lane Literary Guild

2000
Rich Wandschneider, director of Fishtrap

1999
Peter Sears (Corvallis), founder of the Oregon Literary Coalition

1998
Dennis & Linny Stovall (Portland), founders of Blue Heron Publishers

1997
Ruth Gundle & Judith Barrington (Portland), founders of Soapstone and Flight of the Mind

1996
Brian Booth (Portland), founder of the Oregon Institute for Literary Arts

1995
Tom Ferte, publisher of Calapooya Collage

1994
George Venn (La Grande), editor of 6-volume Oregon Literature Series

1993
Penny Avila (Portland), poet and literary advocate

1992
Clyde Rice (Clackamas), award-winning author of novels set in Oregon

1991
Walt Curtis (Portland), poet and advocate for Oregon authors

1990
Sandra Williams (Portland), poet, educator and co-founder/director of the Mountain Writer Series

1989
Katharine McCanna (Portland), book distributor specializing in Northwest authors

1988
Calyx (Corvallis), literary journal

1987
Northwest Review (Eugene), University of Oregon literary journal

Walt Morey Young Readers Literary Legacy Award
This award is presented to a person or organization in recognition of significant contributions that have enriched Oregon’s young readers.

2005
Carol Brown (Corvallis), retired teacher and president of Oregon Reading Association

2004
Patricia R. Gallagher (Monmouth), award winning teacher

2003
Jerry Isom, executive director of Books for Kids

2002
Ready to Learn, pro-literacy program of Oregon Public Broadcasting

2001
Oregon advisory boards of First Book, pro-literacy organization

2000
Cathy Schneider (Portland), coordinator of Books-2-U with the Multnomah County Library

1999
Claudia Jones (Enterprise), Wallowa County Libarian and founder of Bookmobile project

1998
Barbara J. McKillip, founder of the Libri Foundation

Other Special Award recipients

1995
Wilma Erwin, Haiku poet, grass-roots leader and advocate of Oregon writers

1994
Ralph Friedman, author of Oregon landscape and local history books

1992
Paul Pintarich, -The Oregonian_ book reviewer

1991
Don James (Portland), author and teacher

1990
Mary Barnard, Oregon-born poet

1989
George Venn (La Grande), for Marking the Magic Circle (Oregon State University Press)

1988
William Everson, poet and printer who spent World War II in a conscientious-objector camp in Waldport

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