Derek Sheffield honored with 2024 Pacific Northwest Book Award for "Cascadia Field Guide"

Derek Sheffield

Wenatchee Valley College's English faculty member Derek Sheffield, in collaboration with co-editors CMarie Fuhrman and Elizabeth Bradfield, has garnered the prestigious 2024 Pacific Northwest Book Award for their work, “Cascadia Field Guide: Art, Ecology, Poetry.” This accolade highlights the guide's significant contribution to the Pacific Northwest's literary landscape.

Selected from a pool of 300 nominated works by authors from Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Montana, Idaho, and British Columbia, “Cascadia Field Guide” stands out for its unique blend of art and ecology. In a recent discussion with Jefferson Robbins on “Wake Up Wenatchee Valley,” Sheffield expressed his and his co-editors' elation at receiving this recognition. “As we finished making the book, we realized we’d made something special that didn’t exist anywhere else,” Sheffield remarked. “My co-editors and I are over the moon.”

The Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA), the organizing body behind this award since 1964, will host an online event on Feb. 8 at 6 p.m. to honor “Cascadia Field Guide” alongside five other award winners. Attendees can access more details and register for the event via the PNBA website.

In addition to this digital celebration, A Book for All Seasons in Leavenworth is planning an event to honor the book, with further details and the date to be announced soon.

“Cascadia Field Guide” is notable for its rich amalgamation of contributions from over 100 poets and 14 artists, including works from Sheffield, his fellow WVC English faculty Jack Johnson, and WVC alumnus Joe Feddersen. The guide is a celebration of the diverse and vibrant ecosystem of the Cascadia region, which spans from Southeast Alaska to British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and from the Pacific Ocean to the Continental Divide in Idaho and Montana.

Published in 2023 by Mountaineers Books, the guide joins a prestigious list of past PNBA award winners, including literary luminaries such as Ursula K. Le Guin, Ivan Doig, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Harrison, Timothy Egan, and Sherman Alexie. This recognition for “Cascadia Field Guide” not only honors the work of its editors and contributors but also underscores the rich tapestry of ecological and artistic expression that defines the Pacific Northwest.