August House's Bobby Norfolk Wins Prestigious Award
Dunbar Out Loud Takes Gold In Audio Non-Fiction From Foreword Magazine Book Of The Year Awards
Atlanta, GA — June 7, 2005
Acclaimed storyteller and performer Bobby Norfolk has been honored for his audio performance of Dunbar Out Loud – The Poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar by ForeWord Magazine. The audio CD, distributed by Atlanta-based August House Multimedia, was given the Gold Award for Excellence.
ForeWord Magazine, the only review trade journal devoted exclusively to covering books from independent houses, announced the winners of its sixth annual Book of the Year Awards (BOTYA) this weekend at Book Expo America, the largest book publishing event in the US. 184 Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners in fifty-one different BOTYA categories were presented for books published in 2004.
This year yielded a record number of 1500 BOTYA entries, which were narrowed down to 500 finalists. Established in 1998, BOTYA recognizes excellence, spirit, original voices, and vision in the independent press industry.
In Dunbar Out Loud – The Poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar, Norfolk presents the poetry of the man whose name is synonymous with the poetic art of African-Americans. Audio File said of the work: "This poetry collection has something for everyone." Paul Dunbar wrote of the African-American experience at the turn of the twentieth century. Storyteller Bobby Norfolk brings this poetry to life for the 21st-century listener.
Dunbar's stories are written to be heard, and Norfolk tells the stories, illuminates poignant thoughts, and captures photographic moments through pacing, inflection, musical intonation, and African-American dialect. His interpretation complements the energy and depth of Dunbar's work.
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About Bobby Norfolk
Norfolk has worked as an actor, stand-up comedian and reporter. In stand-up, Norfolk opened shows for Roberta Flack, B.B. King, and Lou Rawls. He has won three Emmys, three Parents' Choice awards, and has co-authored with his wife, Sherry, The Moral of the Story: Folktales for Character Development. Norfolk's stories promote character education, cultural diversity and self-esteem, and are geared for audiences of all ages. He has served as a board member for the St. Louis Storytelling Festival, Corn Island Storytelling Festival, Missouri Storytelling, and most recently was elected to serve with the National Storytelling Network.
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About August House
Recently recognized as one of "America's 101 Top Independent Publishers," August House is a highly-acclaimed and award-winning multimedia publisher of children's stories and folktale anthologies. August House's is based in Atlanta, GA.
August House Media Contact
Rob Cleveland
404-442-4422
