The ANWA Writers Conference has begun!

by Marsha Ward

It's only just begun, with a lot of hoop-la, educational and informative classes, and merriment in profusion, but today, at the remove of one year, I want to mention something that happened at the end of last year's Conference. During the closing, I heard something like this:

The American Night Writers Association would like to announce a new award to be presented annually at our Conference. It will be called the American Night Writers Association Service Award. We want to recognize those who go above and beyond the call of duty and show their faith and vision to serve.

The person wrapping up the Conference went on to say something to the effect that a selection process would be announced on the website at some point.

To give you an idea of what we are looking for, we looked to the example of our founder, Marsha Ward, whose long-term service has been not only to ANWA, but to the writing community at large.  She has truly knocked herself out!

Today we commence this prestigious award by giving this knock-out plaque to our Founder, Friend, Leader and Exemplar, Marsha Ward.

And then they called me up to the front and put this in my hands:

You cannot imagine how difficult it is to find a background that will make the inscription pop, but my bedspread finally did the trick.

I felt as though I had truly been knocked out. Flabbergasted. That was me.

It tickles me a great deal to know that someone else will experience that same feeling tomorrow night. Huzzah!