The 30th Annual Thorpe Menn Award for Literary excellence was announced at a luncheon at the Kansas City Public Library’s downtown Central Library by the American Association of University Women’s Kansas City chapter.

Opening remarks were given by the Library’s CEO, R. Crosby Kemper III, who professed great admiration for all of the nominees and their work.

Thorpe Menn is a former Books Editor of the Kansas City Star and the local chapter of the AAUW established the award in his honor to recognize excellence in writing by a Kansas City area author. During his tenure at the Star, Mr. Menn encouraged all forms of artistic expression, from poetry to jazz.

This year’s recipient is Martha McCarty for her book, five island diaries: stories of love, lost and found. Honorable Mention was given to Kansas City Ballet: The First Fifty Years by Wyatt Townley and Felicia Londre was also recognized for her history of Kansas City theatre in The Enchanted Years of the Stage: Kansas City at the crossroads of American Theatre: 1870-1930.