Author Emilly Prado is all smiles at her PNBA Award presentation party at Broadway Books in Portland, OR
Broadway Books was able to host an intimate gathering of Emilly Prado’s supporters and fans on Wednesday, February 23rd to celebrate her 2022 Pacific Northwest Book Award-winning Funeral for Flaca.
It’s a book! It’s a plaque! It’s also a cake! (The cake, from Helen Bernhard Bakery just across the street from Broadway Books, replicated the book’s cover art by Francisco Morales.)
It was wonderful to come together again and see people acknowledging and partaking in Emilly’s achievements. The flowers and praise she received were definitely much deserved.
Author Emilly Prado posing with her plaque and cake
The festivities started off with Broadway Books co-owner Sally McPherson highlighting the other PNBA winners before handing it off to bookseller Chris Miller to say a few words about what made Funeral for Flaca so great and such an easy handsell and to present Emilly her PNBA Book Award.
Broadway Books co-owner Sally McPherson shares this year’s PNBA Book Award Winners
Broadway Books bookseller Chris Miller presents the award to Emilly Prado
Emilly mentioned the importance of independent bookstores to authors and small presses during her impromptu speech further adding, “Small bookstores rallied around this book, especially Broadway Books. I’m really appreciative of it. And I know that every author whose book you have at the store is also appreciative of it. I’m just blessed to be a part of this group. I’m just so grateful. And, thank you, of course, to the PNBA.”
Emilly Prado giving a speech
Guests proceeded to enjoy the cake which looked almost too good to eat– almost being the imperative word because it was delicious. The entire evening was a sweet reminder of good times that can be had at bookstores and hopefully a taste of what will be again!
Celebrating
Emilly Prado cutting the cake
Emilly Prado signing some books
Read Emilly Prado’s original essay “On Writing for the Troublemakers” here.
Watch Emilly Prado at the 2022 virtual Pacific Northwest Book Awards celebration here.
–post by Earl Dizon for nwbooklovers.org
