Just announced: DETROIT, MI—Aquarius Press/Willow Books is proud to announce that the 2011 Aquarius Press Legacy Award will be presented to Samiya Bashir and Parneshia Jones as co-winners. Both women received multiple nominations extolling their vast contributions to the literary field. The Legacy Award honors a woman writer of color from the American Midwest actively involved in providing opportunities for other writers. The award recognizes the anniversary of the founding of Aquarius Press and the ongoing mission of its founder, Heather Buchanan. The 2011 prize consists of a tribute section in the 2012 edition of the acclaimed journal Reverie: Midwest African American Literature and a feature at the 2012 Willow Books Celebration during Associated Writing Programs (AWP) in Chicago, IL.

Congratulations, Samiya!