Kathleen Ernst has won the 2019 Major Achievement Award from the Council for Wisconsin Writers. The award honors the work of a Wisconsin writer who deserves special recognition for his/her literary merit. Past winners include Jerry Apps, Norbert Blei, Jane Hamilton, Kevin Henkes, and John Nichols.
“I write at the intersection of people, places, and the past, and am passionate about my work,” Ernst said. “I am immensely grateful to the Council for Wisconsin Writers for this special recognition.”
In previous years the Council has individually honored two of Ernst‘s Wisconsin-based Chloe Ellefson adult mystery novels, The Heirloom Murders and Mining For Justice (Midnight Ink), and five of her children’s books: Meet Caroline (American Girl), Hearts of Stone (Dutton), Betrayal at Cross Creek (Pleasant Company), and Retreat From Gettysburg and Ghosts of Vicksburg (White Mane).
The Council’s award comes on the heels of Ernst receiving the Sterling North Legacy Award for Excellence in Children’s Literature and being named a Notable Author by the Wisconsin Library Association.
About Kathleen Ernst
Kathleen Ernst writes mysteries, historical fiction, and non-fiction books for adults and young readers. To date, readers and libraries have purchased over 1.75 million audio, ebook, and printed copies of her thirty-seven published books. The tenth Chloe Ellefson mystery, Fiddling With Fate, comes out in September.
About the Council for Wisconsin Writers
The Council for Wisconsin Writers is a unique community of writers, readers, educators, and literary people, both amateur and professional, throughout the state. For over 50 years, their mission has been to recognize and celebrate Wisconsin writers and to promote awareness of our state’s great literary heritage.