For Immediate Release
September 21, 2007
Contacts:
703-324-8313
703-324-8300
Mitch Albom Receives Fairfax Prize
Fairfax, VA - Mitch Albom was the recipient of the 2007 Fairfax Prize for Lifetime Achievement in the Literary Arts, funded by the Fairfax Library Foundation, at the 9th annual Fall for the Book Festival. Library Foundation Chair, Joan Kane, presented the award following a free author program at George Mason University’s Dewberry Hall in the Johnson Center in Fairfax on Tuesday, September 25th at 8:00 p.m.
“We are pleased and honored to present Mitch Albom, a strong believer in giving back to the community, with this award”, said the Library Foundation’s Chair, Joan Kane. “In addition to writing three major best selling novels, Mitch has founded three charities in his hometown of Detroit and donated proceeds from his most recent novel, For One More Day, to promote literacy.”
This award recognized Albom as an award-winning journalist, radio host and author of nine books, including his latest, For One More Day, published in Fall 2006. His first novel, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, is the most successful U.S. hardback first novel ever and has sold over eight million copies worldwide. Tuesdays With Morrie, his chronicle of time spent with a beloved but dying college professor, spent four years on the New York Times bestsellers list and is now the most successful memoir ever published. Both books were turned into celebrated TV films. Albom founded three charities: The Dream Fund allows disadvantaged children to become involved with the arts; A Time To Help organizes volunteers to tackle community projects; and S.A.Y Detroit is an umbrella program to fund shelters and care for the homeless. Albom serves on charitable boards and, in 1999, was named National Hospice Organization's Man of the Year.
Mitch Albom was joined by Rita Mae Brown, Joseph Ellis, Alice McDermott and other notable authors at the festival, which was cosponsored by the Fairfax Library Foundation, the Fairfax County Public Library, George Mason University, the Friends of the Fairfax City Regional Library, the Friends of the Reston Regional Library, Dominion, ExxonMobil, NOVEC and others. It was held on the Fairfax campus of George Mason University and at select locations throughout the community from September 23 –September 28.
Fairfax Library Foundation is a private, nonprofit corporation committed to providing supplementary support to the Fairfax County Public Library. The Foundation, while reinforcing the need for continued and increased public support for the Library, serves as a catalyst for attracting private funding from individuals, businesses, organizations and foundations to enhance library services for our community.