Paisley Media Coordinator Receives Bookmarks Authors in Schools Educator Award

Ruth Wilcox with Rachel Kuhn Stinehelfer

OCTOBER 4, 2017 – At the Opening Welcome Celebration for authors, sponsors, and volunteers at the Bookmarks Festival of Books and Authors on Sept. 8, Bookmarks announced the winners of their three annual awards:

Ruth Wilcox is the 2017 winner of the Bookmarks Authors in Schools Educator Award, which is given to an advocate for reading who inspires students to make life-changing discoveries through books. Wilcox is the Media Coordinator at Paisley IB Magnet School. Wilcox has hosted authors, promoted our Summer Reading Program, and collaborated on one of our first school book fairs.

She has been teaching for 27 years—both as an English teacher and a media coordinator. Wilcox also coaches the Paisley Middle School Battle of the Books team. She helps her students get excited to read and to learn, and challenges them to stretch their comfort zones and try something different.

Emily Wilson (center) with Jamie Rogers Southern and Ginger Hendricks

Emily Herring Wilson is the winner of the 2017 Bookmarks Literary Achievement Award, which is given to someone whose writings and/or service represent artistic achievement and meritorious contributions to community and humanity. A mainstay of the North Carolina literature scene for decades, Wilson is a winner of the North Carolina Award and the Caldwell Award. She is the author of many books including the-just released: The Three Graces of Val-Kill: Eleanor Roosevelt, Marion Dickerman, and Nancy Cook in the Place They Made Their Own.

Wilson was an early advocate for Bookmarks’ expansion and opening of an independent nonprofit bookstore in Winston-Salem.

The Mulder family with Bookmarks founder Debbie Harllee 

The Mulder Family (Megan and Philip Mulder and son David Mulder) is the winner of the 2017 Debora D. and Victor F. Harllee, Jr. Volunteer Award, which is given to an exceptional volunteer. Each member of the family has supported Bookmarks for multiple years with their time. Philip served as President of the Board of Directors. Both Megan and Philip serve on the planning and programming committees, and David writes a regular blog from the viewpoint of Karl the Kraken, who lives at Bookmarks’ Bookstore.

Bookmarks is a literary arts nonprofit organization that fosters a love of reading and writing in the community. The programming connects readers with authors and books and is achieved through the largest annual book festival in the Carolinas; an Authors in Schools program, which reaches 8,000 students annually; and year-round events in their gathering space and nonprofit independent bookstore that opened July 8, 2017. For more information, visit Bookmarks. http://www.bookmarksnc.org/