Gaines award ceremony kicks off Thursday

Late last year, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation named Mitchell S. Jackson the winner of the 2014 Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence for his debut novel The Residue Years. This week, Manship Theatre will host an official ceremony for the award.

The Gaines award ceremony starts at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22. Doors open at 6 p.m. The event features a reading from Jackson and a performance from the Irvin Mayfield Quintet. The ceremony is free and open to the public. However, a ticket is required for entry. Call Manship Theatre at 344-0334 to reserve your seat or click here.

The Residue Years received critical acclaim from The New York Times and was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award for debut fiction.

Released in 2013, Jackson’s novel is a semi-autobiographical look at a Portland, Oregon, neighborhood ravaged by violence and drug use. The story follows a mother and former addict trying to steer here three sons away from drugs.

For more information on the award and this year’s recipient, click here.