Something I always find a little strange is highlighting when a book achieves an award. In the case of 'Women In Jazz' gaining a Jazz Times Distaff award, making their Gearhead list, and then having the book nominated by the Jazz Journalists Association as Book of the Year, was amazing. It also won Phace Magazine's Music Book of the Year, which all made for good feelings, after what was a very difficult year, with losing my English father, being bullied online, and a few other things.
Now, two of my books have won prestigious awards and I feel it is OK to brag a little because both of these books were written in collaboration with many musicians so it is due to their support and input that The Wonder of Jazz won a Best Music Book of The Year from The Book Authority - an organization that selects, reads and critiques books and awards them merit if they deserve it. I did not even know the book had won the award until I was shown it. It also won a Readers Favourite 5 star award, which was a lovely surprise.
Now my newly published book Fabulous Female Musicians ( again a collaboration, this time with with 21 female musicians) has just won a Literary Titan Gold Award - another wonderful surprise.
It is, of course, an honour to receive awards, but they are also a testament to my very patient editor, Richard Sheehan, and the cover artwork of Ken Dawson, both of whom I would recommend to anyone who asks. Of course, they also show that collaborative works can and do make a difference. Many people have now heard musicians' side of things, good or bad, and they understand the incredible journeys female musicians are making and the road they are still on.
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