Two Alaskan writers and an entire town are winners of the 2023 Contributions to Literacy in Alaska (CLIA) Awards from the Alaska Center for the Book.

Honorees are author, editor, and writing mentor Tricia Brown; Erin Coughlin Hollowell, a poet, writer, and director of both Storyknife Writers Retreat and the Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference; and the community of Moose Pass, which created a multi-generational book project telling the history of their town.

The CLIA awards are presented annually by Alaska Center for the Book, Alaska’s liaison with the U.S. Library of Congress Center for the Book. Since 1993, the awards have been presented to more than 100 people and institutions making a significant contribution in literacy, the literary arts, or the preservation of the written or spoken word.

Tricia Brown of Anchorage has worked as a journalist, author, editor, book developer, and writing mentor. She has written more than 30 titles, among them 12 children’s books, most recently “Alaska Native Games and How to Play Them.” She travels extensively, speaking at schools, libraries, and workshops for all ages. Starting as a journalist for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner in 1978, she also worked with Alaska magazine, Alaska Northwest Books, Best Beginnings, and others. She is the winner of the CLIA Sue Sherif Award, named for a longtime children’s librarian pivotal in supporting literacy in Alaska.

Erin Coughlin Hollowell of Homer has spent years supporting the work of poets and writers in Alaska. She has been involved with Poems in Place, Alaska Reads, and 49 Writers. She is currently executive director of Storyknife Writers Retreat and director of the Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference. She is also the author of three collections of poetry, most recently “Corvus and Crater,” and recipient of several literary awards and fellowships.

The Community of Moose Pass worked together to create “People, Paths, and Places: The Frontier History of Moose Pass, Alaska.” Edited by Kaylene Johnson-Sullivan, the book includes contributions from local school children, longtime residents, and historic collections. The multi-generational learning project not only preserved local history, but created community pride and friendships that should inspire other Alaskans and communities everywhere.

The CLIA Award winners will be honored at an event at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 1 at Writer’s Block Bookstore, 3956 Spenard Rd. in Anchorage. The brief ceremony will be followed by a panel discussion of works in progress by several Alaskan authors, kicking off Alaska Book Week Oct. 1-8 statewide. Local presentations are being set up in Homer and Moose Pass.

Founded in 1991, ACB is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization. It participates in the National Book Festival, Alaska Reads, Alaska Book Week, and other events.