Edwards Award 2012

Susan Cooper for The Dark Is Rising Sequence

Susan Cooper for The Dark Is Rising Sequence

Susan Cooper is the recipient of the 2012 Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring her significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens for The Dark Is Rising Sequence: Over Sea, Under Stone; The Dark Is Rising; Greenwitch; The Grey King; and Silver on the Tree.

Over Sea, Under StoneThe Dark Is RisingGreenwitchThe Grey KingSilver on the Tree

In one of the most influential epic high fantasies in literature, Cooper evokes Celtic and Arthurian mythology and masterly world-building in a high-stakes battle between good and evil, embodied in the coming of age journey of Will Stanton.

The Dark Is Rising Sequence chronicles the adventures of Will Stanton, the last of the immortal Old Ones, as he acquires the Things of Power for the Light in its climactic battle with the Dark. Originally published between 1966 and 1977byMargaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Cooper’s masterwork has served as an inspiration to generations of fantasy writers and readers. 

“Susan Cooper’s fantasy invites readers to embark on Will’s journey and frees their imaginations to soar,” said Edwards Committee Chair Susan Fichtelberg.

Susan Cooper will be honored at the YALSA Edwards Award Luncheon and presented with a citation and cash prize of $2,000 during the 2012 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif., June 21 – 26.

Members of the 2012 Edwards Committee are: Chair Susan Fichtelberg, The Woodbridge (N.J.) Public Library; Amy Joanne Chow, The Brearley School, New York; Jonathan Hunt, Modesto City (Calif.) Schools; Walter M. Mayes, The Girls' Middle School, Palo Alto, Calif.; and Kate McNair, Johnson County Library, Shawnee Mission, Kan.