The Bellwether Board of Directors:

Barbara Kingsolver, founder, is the author of eleven popular and critically acclaimed books of fiction and non-fiction, including High Tide in Tucson, The Bean Trees, The Poisonwood Bible, Prodigal Summer, and Small Wonder. She writes and works as an activist for human rights and environmental issues.

Frances Goldin has been proprietor of her own literary agency for more than 30 years. Among the clients she represents are Barbara Kingsolver, Dorothy Allison, Adrienne Rich, and Mumia Abu-Jamal. A lifetime resident of New York City, she is active in women's and civil rights and an advocate for affordable housing.

Arthur I. Blaustein is a professor of politics and social policy at U.C. Berkeley, and was appointed by President Clinton to serve on the board of the National Endowment for the Humanities. He has authored five books and numerous articles, and received the John Dewey award for distinguished comminity service.

Judges for 2006:

Ernest Hebert (Author, The Dogs of March, University Press of New England)
John Nichols (Author,The Milagro Beanfield War: A Novel, Henry Holt and Company)
Terry Karten (Editor, Algonquin Books)

Judges for 2004:

Barry Lopez (Author, Arctic Dreams, Of Wolves and Men, Resistance)
Anna Quindlen (Author, Blessings, Living Out Loud, One True Thing)
Terry Karten (Editor, HarperCollins Publishers)

Judges for 2002:

Maxine Hong Kingston (Author, China Men, Hawai'i One Summer)
Toni Morrison (Author, Beloved, Sula)
Terry Karten (Editor, HarperCollins Publishers)

Judges for 2000:

Ruth Ozeki (Author, My Year of Meats)
Grace Paley (Author, Later the Same Day, Enormous Changes at
     the Last Minute)
Terry Karten (Editor, HarperCollins Publishers)

Judges for 1999:

Ursula K. Le Guin (Author, The Left Hand of Darkness)
Terry Karten (Editor, HarperCollins Publishers)
Martín Espada (Author, Imagine the Angels of Bread, A Mayan Astronomer in Hell's Kitchen)
Russell Banks (Author, Cloudsplitter, The Sweet Hereafter)

Bellwether Judging Process

Manuscripts are judged by a panel of distinguished literary authors whose work exemplifies the category of fiction endorsed by the Bellwether Prize. For each competition the judges' identities will be disclosed only following the announcement of the winner. Results are announced on May 1st, in even-numbered years, with publication of the winning book to follow within a year. The winning author will enter into a contract with the participating publisher, with a first hardcover printing of at least 10,000 copies. Publisher for the 2006 Bellwether Prize novel will be Algonquin.

Schedule for Manuscript Screening and Judging:

September

Submissions are accepted at NWUSO until October 1st and screened for eligibility. Applicants are notified promptly of acceptance or rejection.

October through December

Eligible manuscripts receive their first reading; finalists are selected and forwarded for judging. Usually, about twelve manuscripts are selected as finalists, depending on the number and quality of submissions. All evaluation is anonymous; manuscripts are read without disclosure of authors' names, which are kept in a closed file.

January

Finalists are notified that their manuscripts are still under consideration. All other entries are withdrawn from the competition, and their authors are then free to submit them elsewhere.

January through March

Panel of judges selects and agrees upon up to three manuscripts to submit to the Bellwether board.

April

A winning manuscript is certified by Barbara Kingsolver and the board of directors, or a final selection is made from among more than one potential winner, if necessary. The author's identity is then disclosed to the board only, and the winner is notified by telephone at the end of April.

May 1
Winner of the Bellwether Prize is announced by press release to major media.