Participants in this Forum will likely be interested to hear that Geraldine Brooks, the historical novelist, was honored by the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation at its 2010 ceremony last Sunday night.  She received the honor for lifetime achievement.  The only international literary peace prize awarded in the United States, the event  celebrates the power of literature to promote peace and understanding.  It was inspired by the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords, which ended the war in Bosnia.

Brooks had  covered the fighting in the Balkans as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal.  Before the dinner and awards ceremony, Brooks said it felt very special to have her work ¨perceived to be promoting peace, which is obviously something that in the secret places of my heart I like to think I´m doing, but you´re never sure if you are."

The two other award winners for 2010 are Dave Eggers, for non-fiction (Zeitoun), and Marlon  James, for fiction (The Book of Night Women). 

Congratulations!

Wonder if her books would be considered highbrow historical fiction?

Kelly, I'm sure that I saw them on that tag mash list you posted.

This is good news. I read her N/F book, "Nine Parts of Desire" and you can tell she has a passion for the lives of those women.