The Center for the Book, and the Michigan Library Association present the Michigan Author Award annually to recognize a Michigan author for their literary merit. The award is based on an outstanding published body of work, which can be fiction, non-fiction, poetry or play scripts. The Thunder Bay Literary Conference began the award in 1992 and it has since become an important part of the Michigan literary landscape.

Dave Dempsey, the 2009 winner, has written about the environment for 25 years, and in doing so, has helped shape conservation and Great Lakes policy in the state. His newest book is Great Lakes for Sale: From Whitecaps to Bottlecaps. This book poses - and answers - important questions about the export and diversion of Great Lakes water.

He has co-authored The Waters of Michigan, a collection of stewardship essays combined with photographs of David Lubbers that presents a truly unique view and understanding of the waters of Michigan. His other titles include: Ruins and Recovery: Michigan's Rise as a Conservation Leader, which is an environmental history of Michigan since its statehood in 1837; a biography of former governor and environmental champion William Milliken, William G. Milliken: Michigan's Passionate Moderate, which was named a 2007 Michigan Notable Book; and On the Brink: the Great Lakes in the 21st Century, a history of and a look forward to the state of the world's largest freshwater ecosystem, which was a 2005 Michigan Notable Book winner.

Previous Michigan Author Award Winners