Council for Wisconsin Writers

Supporting Wisconsin writers from 1964 to 2022

Tofte/Wright Children's Literature Award

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Janesville Author/Past CWW Winner Wins National Award

Ann Bausum, author of more than a dozen books for young people, will receive The Children’s Book Guild of Washington, D.C.’s, 2017 Nonfiction Award. Bausum’s Stonewall: Breaking Out in the Fight for Gay Rights, published by Penguin Random House, received the Council for Wisconsin Writers’ Tofte/Wright Children’s Literature honorable mention for work published in 2015, and first place in the same category for Denied, Detained, Deported: Stories from the Dark Side of American Immigrations, published in 2009 by National Geographic.

The Children’s Book Guild of Washington, D.C. award will be presented on April 29, 2017, in Washington, D.C.

The Guild’s news release is at http://www.childrensbookguild.org/nonfiction-award/2017-winner-announced.

Congratulations to Ann. Information about the Tofte/Wright Children’s Literature Award and CWW is at www.wiswriters.org.

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Mount Mary U. Schedules Publishing Institute

Ann Angel, professor and English Program Director at Mount Mary University sends a reminder that Mount Mary is partnering with RedOak to present its Publishing Institute.
“We’ve got a great line up of local writers as well as nationally recognized agents and editors,” Angel says. “Our own Bridget Birdsall [winner of CWW’s 2014 Tofte/Wright Children’s Literature Award] will be speaking about ‘How Self-Publishing Helped me find an Agent and Healed my Soul’ on Friday evening. That event is free and open to the public. Bridget will be back for a breakout session on Saturday. We’ve also got Regina Brooks of Serendipity LIt coming to Milwaukee for this event. She publishes childrens, YA and adult work. There is a small fee for the Saturday events and an additional fee to pitch work one-on-one with an agent or editor. You can find all the information on the following link which you’ll need to copy and paste.
Check out Bridget Birdsall, Tofte/Wright Children’s Literature Award, CWW and CWW contests at www.wiswriters.org.

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Public TV Showcases Past CWW Award Winner

Children’s book author Janet Halfmann, 2011 winner of CWW’s Tofte/Wright Children’s Literature Award for her Star of the Sea: A Day in the Life of a Starfish, is among the South Milwaukeeans featured in Milwaukee Public TV’s “Around the Corner with John McGivern” as it celebrates South Milwaukee. The show will air on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m, on MPTV Channel 10, and again or Sunday March 1, 7 p.m., on Public TV’s Channel 36..

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Long-time CWW Supporter Dies

With the death this week of Dorothy Tofte, the Council for Wisconsin Writers lost a long-time advocate and supporter. Dorothy, 98, was the wife of prolific science fiction and fantasy writer Arthur R. Tofte. Although Dorothy’s impressive career in nursing spanned many decades, according to the Becker Ritter Funeral Home, which posted this notice, both she and Arthur, who died in 1980, were devoted members of CWW. The CWW Tofte/Wright Children’s Literature Award was named in honor of the Toftes and Dorothy’s friend, children’s author Betty Ren Wright.

Following are CWW member tributes to Dorothy:

CWW President Geoff Gilpin

  • I was deeply saddened to learn of Dorothy’s passing. She and her husband Arthur were pillars of our organization over the decades. In recent years, we’ve missed her quiet graciousness at our annual awards banquet. Her generosity lives on through the Tofte/Wright Award, presented annually for the best work of children’s literature by a Wisconsin writer. My deepest condolences to her family and friends. Wisconsin has lost a great supporter of the arts.

Geoff Gilpin

President, Council for Wisconsin Writer

Posted on Dorothy’s online memorial page

  • In the early ’90s, when I was first getting started with Redbird Studio, Dorothy Tofte and her friend, Betty Ren Wright (sp?) got excited about the classes for adults and kids and wanted to be part of it. Betty always cheered us on. Dorothy went another step. She climbed the four flights of stairs to the studio, attended workshops, helped encourage the writers, and contributed to the young writers scholarship fund. Whenever she saw me, she asked how things were going at the studio and she didn’t mean to get a general answer, she wanted details. What were people writing? How many more had been published? Was I still working with inner city schools? Did that lady finish writing about her son?
            She and Betty were not only friends, they were champions who worked behind the scenes to help “the young ones” along. I’m grateful to have seemed like one of “the young ones”
            to them.
           As I write this, I realize it’s my turn to “help the young ones.” I hope none of them are up four flights of stairs.
        Judy Bridges
        Author, Shut Up & Write! 

        Founder, Redbird Studio
           Board member, Council for Wisconsin Writers

The Becker Ritter Funeral Home notice includes the following information about services:

Visitation will be held at the Funeral Home on Monday, November 24, at 11:30 a.m., with lunch following. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the Council for Wisconsin Writers, Tofte/Wright Children’s Literature Award or a charity of your choice.

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"Star of the Sea" to Star at WI Book Fest

Award-winning children's author Janet Halfmann will be presenting at the Wisconsin Book Festival as part of the Council for Wisconsin Writers event. She will read her book Star of the Sea, which won this year's CWW Tofte/Wright Children's Literature Award, and participate in a panel: "How Can Wisconsin Writers Support One Another?" The event is tomorrow, Nov. 8, 5:30-7 pm, Wisconsin Studio, Overture Center.
http://www.wisconsinbookfestival.org/presenting-authors?author_id=1867

More information about Wisconsin writers is as www.wiswriters.org.

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SCBWI-WI Fall Conference Gets Underway

The SCBWI-WI capped the first day of its annual fall weekend conference yesterday by presenting prestigious awards to two great Wisconsin talents.

Ingrid Kallack received the SCBWI 2012 Magazine Merit Award in Illustration for her stunning illustration, “Rasa’s Library”, which was the wrap-around cover of the September 2011 issue of Cricket magazine. You can get a look at this fantastic illustration here:  http://scbwistoryart.blogspot.com/2012/06/congratulations-to-ingrid-kallick-for.html. To see more of Ingrid’s art, go to her website at http://www.ikallick.com/.

Author Pat Schmatz was presented with SCBWI’s 2012 Midwest region Crystal Kite Member Choice Award for her middle-grade novel Bluefish. Pat, winner of the Council for Wisconsin Writers 2008 the Tofte/Wright Children’s Literature Award for her middle-grade novel, Mousetraps, will add this Crystal Kite award to her growing collection of awards for her fantastic writing.

The presentation of those awards followed talks by Candlewick Press Art Director Kristen Nobles and prolific author (40 books!) George Shannon. The schedule for today and tomorrow includes presentations by editors,  illustrators and more authors.

Visit CWW’s website at www.wiswriters.org