Craig Hickman Named Finalist for Lambda Literary Awards

Bestselling author Craig Hickman, a resident of Winthrop, Maine, and Boston, Massachusetts, was recently named a finalist in the spirituality category of the 18th Annual Lambda Literary Awards for his stunning memoir, Fumbling Toward Divinity, which chronicles the author’s quest for his birth heritage and the aftermath in a one-of-a-kind, ambitious, and masterful work. Richard Labonte of Books to Watch Out For writes, “The prose style is bracing, lyrical, preacherly, impressionistic, at times almost incantatory, rolling with the cadence of a queer sermon...There’s a lot of adoption literature out there, but few such memoirs match Fumbling Toward Divinity’s flair for examining the madness and sadness and shame and satisfaction of digging up one’s roots… Lots of drama, detailed with heartfelt honesty in this exquisite book.”


Launched in 1989, the Lambda Literary Awards is the nation’s most celebrated and comprehensive collection of awards for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) writing. Spanning twenty categories, the 100 finalists reflect a diverse range of distinguished voices from the LGBTcommunity and highlight the full range of achievement in LGBT literature.


The finalists are selected based upon a two-part process. In the fall of 2005, readers, authors, and publishers formally nominated books, with the nomination period closing on Decembe 31. A finalist selection committee of reviewers and booksellers chose the finalists by first voting on their top choices and then, in conference calls, discussing the top titles in each category.


“This is a remarkable list of finalists,” observed Charles Flowers, executive director of Lambda Literary Foundation. “From small press to university press to New York mainstream house, LGBT publishing is vibrant and vigorous.” Fumbling Toward Divinity was published by Annabessacook Farm, a small press imprint of the farm and bed & breakfast, which the author owns in Maine. "This is a tremendous honor," remarked Craig Hickman. "I'm humbled to be on a list that includes such great authors as June Jordan, Mark Doty, and Thomas Glave."


Seventy-two judges will select a single book in each category to win the prestigious Lambda Litereary Award, considered to be the highest acoolate for a book from the LGBT community. The recipients will be announced at a gala ceremoney in Washington, DC on Thursday, May 18, 2006, on the eve of BookExpo America Convention.