Terry McMillan Honored With the Lifetime Achievement Award at the First-Ever 2008 ESSENCE Literary Awards

NEW YORK, Feb. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- ESSENCE magazine, the preeminent lifestyle publication for African-American women, announced the winners of its first-annual 2008 ESSENCE Literary Awards during a reception that took place February 7, 2008 at Le Parker Meridien in New York City. The event was designed to celebrate established and emerging African-American authors, and was hosted by Hoda Kotb, TODAY show co-anchor, and Dr. Ian Smith, creator of The 50 Million Pound Challenge. A "who's who" of publishing convened at this standing-room only event of close to 300 guests including: Alek Wek, model and ESSENCE Literary Award finalist; Lynn Whitfield, actress; Susan Fales-Hill, TV Producer; Victoria Rowell, actress; Crystal McCrary Anthony, author; Jamie Hector, actor; and others.

Acclaimed author Terry McMillan was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award during this event. McMillan is known for her works that have brought her critical acclaim over the years -- including Mama, Disappearing Acts and The Interruption of Everything. However, it was her blockbuster hit Waiting to Exhale -- which has sold millions of copies -- that marked the beginning of her ascent to literary stardom. Exhale was turned into a major film, as was McMillan's novel, How Stella Got Her Groove Back. While an undergrad in 1974, McMillan won ESSENCE magazine's first college essay contest for her piece, Black Men and Women: Are We Closer Together or Farther Apart? She is also one of only a few authors who have been featured on ESSENCE's cover for its June 1996 issue.

Bishop T.D. Jakes, pastor of The Potter's House in Dallas, TX, and author of the book, Reposition Yourself: Living Life Without Limits, was also honored during the event with "The President's Award." This award is given to the author whose book best reflects the editorial mission of ESSENCE.

The 2008 ESSENCE Literary Awards also marked the launch of ESSENCE's "Save Our Libraries" Campaign. Moriba Jackson, Supervising Librarian of the Countee Cullen Branch of the New York Public Library, based in Harlem, was on hand to accept a donation on behalf the library.

"The ESSENCE Literary Awards was a tremendous success. The event featured a who's who of the publishing world as we honored the rich legacy of Terry McMillan and other venerable African-American authors. Also, through our Save Our Libraries campaign, ESSENCE is leading the way to help the Countee Cullen branch to receive the resources they need," said Patrik Henry Bass, ESSENCE Senior Editor, Books and Arts.

For 37 years ESSENCE, the preeminent magazine for African-American women, has been the leading gateway for emerging African American literary talent, celebrating established authors and reflecting publishing trends within the African American community. The Essence Best-Sellers List, which appears each month in the magazine and online, is the foremost measure of book sales within the African-American community. In 2006, ESSENCE also launched the ESSENCE Recommended Read Book Club, one of the largest book clubs of its kind with 4,000 members. Throughout the year, ESSENCE selects a recently released, classic fiction or non-fiction title by an African-American author to be highlighted. Each selected title features the Essence Book Club Recommended Read logo on the book's cover. More often than not, a chosen Essence Book Club title shows an increase over an author's previous sales. Author Carleen Brice's book Orange Mint and Honey will be featured as ESSENCE's upcoming March 2008 issue ESSENCE Recommended Read Book Club pick.

Sponsors for the 2008 ESSENCE Literary Awards are Avon, Superclubs Breezes Resorts, Nuvo and State Farm. For more information visit www.essence.com.

About Essence Communications Inc.:

Essence Communications Inc. (ECI) is the leading media and communications company dedicated to African-American women. With a multi-platform presence in publishing, live events, and online, the Essence brand is "Where Black Women Come First". The company's flagship publication, ESSENCE magazine, is the preeminent lifestyle magazine for African-American women; generating brand extensions such as the Essence Music Festival, Women Who Are Shaping the World Leadership Summit, Window on Our Women (WOW I & II) and Smart Beauty I, II & III consumer insights, the Essence Book Club, Essence.com, and ventures in digital media (mobile, television and VOD) via Essence Studios. For 37 years, ESSENCE magazine, which has a readership of 8.2 million, has been the leading source of cutting-edge information relating to every area of African-American women's lives. Additional information about ECI and ESSENCE is available at Essence.com.

                     2008 ESSENCE LITERARY AWARDS WINNERS
                   *please note: Winners appear in ALL CAPS

    FICTION:

    -- Red River by Lalita Tademy/Grand Central Publishing

    -- Casanegra by Blair Underwood, Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due/Atria

    -- THE PIRATE'S DAUGHTER by MARGARET CEZAIR-THOMPSON/UNBRIDLED BOOKS

    -- New England White by Stephen L. Carter/Knopf

    -- Knots by Nuruddin Farah/Riverhead


    MEMOIR:

    -- BROTHER, I'M DYING by EDWIDGE DANTICAT/KNOPF

    -- The Women Who Raised Me by Victoria Rowell/William Morrow

    -- Alek by Alek Wek/Amistad

    -- One Drop by Bliss Broyard/Little, Brown and Co.

    -- A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah/Farrar, Straus and Giroux


    INSPIRATION:

    -- Reposition Yourself by TD Jakes/Atria

    -- From the Heart by Robin Roberts/Hyperion

    -- QUIET STRENGTH by TONY DUNGY/TYNDALE

    -- Do You! by Russell Simmons/Penguin

    -- How Strong Women Pray by Bonnie St. John/Faith Words


    NON-FICTION:

    -- The Bond by Sampson Davis, George Jenkins and Rameck Hunt/Riverhead

    -- Friends: A Love Story by Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance/Harlequin

    -- I Got Your Back by Eddie and Gerald Levert/Harlem Moon

    -- Foreigners by Caryl Phillips/Knopf

    -- SUPREME DISCOMFORT by MICHAEL FLETCHER and KEVIN MERIDA/DOUBLEDAY


    CURRENT AFFAIRS:

    -- Come on People by Bill Cosby/Thomas Nelson

    -- The Covenant in Action by Tavis Smiley/Smiley Books

    -- AN UNBROKEN AGONY by RANDALL ROBINSON/BASIC CIVITAS

    -- Know What I Mean? By Michael Eric Dyson/Perseus Books Group

    -- Twice As Good by Marcus Mabry/Modern Times


    PHOTOGRAPHY:

    -- DAUFUSKIE ISLAND by JEANNE MOUTOUSSAMY-ASHE/UNIVERSITY of SOUTH
       CAROLINA PRESS

    -- Pop by Carol Ross/Stewart, Tabori & Chang

    -- Jimi Hendrix by Janie Hendrix/Atria

    -- Let Your Motto Be Resistance edited by Deborah Willis/Smithsonian Press

    -- Jewels by Michael Cunningham and Connie Briscoe/Little, Brown and Co.


    CHILDREN'S BOOKS:

    -- Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine illustrated by Kadir
       Nelson/Scholastic

    -- Sugar Cane: A Caribbean Rapunzel by Patricia Storace and Raul
       Colon/Jump at the Sun

    -- MARVELOUS WORLD by TROY CLE/SIMON & SCHUSTER'S CHILDREN'S PUBLISHING

    -- The Shadow Speaker by Nnedi Okorafor-mbachu/Jump at the Sun

    -- Salli Gal and the Wall-a-Kee Man by Sheila P. Moses/Scholastic


    POETRY:

    -- DUENDE by TRACY K. SMITH/GRAYWOLF PRESS

    -- Acolytes by Nikki Giovanni/William Morrow

    -- Totem by Gregory Pardlo/American Poetry Review


    STORYTELLER OF THE YEAR:
    -- Eric Jerome Dickey
    -- Lori Bryant-Woolridge
    -- Trisha R. Thomas
    -- L.A. BANKS
    -- Tananarive Due


    LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD:
    *TERRY McMILLAN