James C. Nicholson Wins Kentucky's Literary Award

University Press of Kentucky author James C. Nicholson has been named as the recipient of the Southern Kentucky Book Fest's Kentucky Literary Award for his book The Kentucky Derby: How the Run for the Roses Became America's Premier Sporting Event. First awarded in 2003, the Kentucky Literary Award is a celebration of Kentucky literature. Eligible books include those written by Kentuckians or books with a substantial Kentucky theme. The award is given to fiction and nonfiction titles in alternating years. Nicholson was announced at the "Meet the Authors" event held on April 19, the evening before the Southern Kentucky Book Fest. This year, two other UPK titles were named among the five finalists, including A Few Honest Words: The Kentucky Roots of Popular Music by Jason Howard and Arab and Jewish Women in Kentucky: Stories of Accommodation and Audacity by Nora Rose Moosnick.

In The Kentucky Derby, Nicholson offers a look at the evolution of the Derby as well as its international, national, and regional importance. He details the Derby's existence as an intersection of past traditions and contemporary culture, for both Kentuckians and Americans, and examines the historical, political, and cultural significance of horse racing's most famous event. Few festivals and gatherings have maintained such a delicate balance between exuberant glamor and local approachability as the Kentucky Derby-the brightest jewel of the Triple Crown.

James C. Nicholson recently received a PhD in history from the University of Kentucky. He is the author of Never Say Die: A Kentucky Colt, the Epsom Derby, and the Rise of the Modern Thoroughbred Industry.

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