Friday, February 6, 2015

Southside Buddhist Wins Florida Book Award Honor


Southside Buddhist by Ira Sukrungruang, published in 2014 by the University of Tampa Press, has just been named winner of the Bronze Medal for General Nonfiction in the Ninth Annual Florida Book Awards recognitions.

        The Florida Book Awards were established in 2006 to recognize the best contemporary Florida literature. The annual selection is coordinated by Florida State University Libraries and has become the nation’s most comprehensive state book awards program. Eligible authors must be full-time Florida residents.
         
        This year more than 200 submissions were read and evaluated by juries of three members, each nominated from across the state by co-sponsoring organizations. Details about all of this year’s winners are available on the 2014 awards page of the Florida Book Awards website.
         
        Sukrungruang, who teaches writing at the University of South Florida in Tampa, is a Thai American writer. The autobiographical essays in Southside Buddhist include reflections on life, art, and writing. His previous books include his memoir Talk Thai: The Adventures of Buddhist Boy and a collection of poetry, In Thailand It Is Night, which won the Anita Claire Scharf Prize and was also published by the University of Tampa Press.

Both books are available on our website, or you can click directly to their catalog listings: