New Mexico Book Co-op Names Pat Hodapp as the 2015 Literary Award winner

The New Mexico Book Co-op named Patricia Hodapp, director of the Santa Fe Public Library, as the winner of the 2015 Literary Award for New Mexico and Arizona.  This special recognition is given to a supporter of authors, books, and publishing in New Mexico or Arizona.  Hodapp, who has been director of the Santa Fe Public Library since 2004, opened the Southside Branch Library in 2007, and promotes author programs and literacy at the three Santa Fe Public Library locations. The award was established in 2013. Prior winners include Don Bullis, noted New Mexico author and 2011 Centennial author, in 2013, and John Byram, Director of University of New Mexico Press, in 2014.

The Best Overall Book of 2015 was awarded to Laguna Pueblo: a Photographic History by Lee Marmon and Tom Corbett of UNM Press.  The Best Book on New Mexico was Nasario Garcia’s biography, Hoe, Heaven & Hell, also from UNM Press.  Garcia also received honors for his picture book, Grandma Lale’s Tamales which tied with Slim Randles’ Ol’ Jimmy Dollar, both published by Rio Grande Books. The Tony Hillerman award for fiction went to Red Gold by Robert Kidera (Suspense Publishing). Travel book winners were Barbe Awalt, The Basic New Mexico Bucket List (Rio Grande Books), tied with Wild in Arizona by Paul Gill and Colleen Miniuk-Sperry (Analemma Press). For a complete list of winners go to www.NMBookCoop.com  

New Mexico Book Coop is New Mexico and Arizona's largest non-profit cooperative organization featuring New Mexico and Arizona books, publishers, and authors. It is a partnership of over 1,500 publishers and authors who are interested in showcasing and selling books about New Mexico, Arizona, and the Southwest.