February 12, 2008
The just in … Lucette Lagnado wins Sami Rohr prize
The Jewish Book Council just announced the winner of the $100,000 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature.
Lucette Lagnado won the award for her 2007 memoir, “The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit: My Family's Exodus from Old Cairo to the New World.”
According to the Jewish Book Council press release, Lagnado “was selected based on her demonstration of a fresh vision and evidence of future potential to further contribute to the Jewish literary community.”
Lagnado, pictured right, is a former editor at The Forward and currently works as a senior special writer and investigative reporter for The Wall Street Journal. She will formally accept the Sami Rohr Prize at the Jewish Book Council's awards ceremony scheulded for April in Jerusalem.
In addition to the $100,000 prize, the Jewish Book Council announced the winners of 2008 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature Choice Award. Each of the Choice Awards comes with a $7,500 check.
Ilana M. Blumberg won a Choice Award for “Houses of Study: A Jewish Woman Among Books.” Blumberg is Assistant Professor of Humanities at James Madison College at Michigan State University.
Eric L. Goldstein won a Choice Award for “The Price of Whiteness: Jews, Race and American Identity.” Goldstein is Associate Professor of History and Jewish Studies at Emory University.
Mazal tov to all the winners.
For those of you who want more information on “The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit,” I wrote a review of the book back in August.