Library Partners Press names awards in honor of O’Day and Coates

October 22, 2018

Library Partners Press, an imprint of Wake Forest’s Digital Publishing Division, has named its inaugural literary awards the Gail O’Day Award and the David Coates Award.  O’Day and Coates were distinguished members of the University’s academic community before their deaths in 2018.

The Gail O’Day Award for Poetry recognizes outstanding achievements in poetry. “Throughout her career, Gail O’Day relied on poetry–individual poems and collections alike–to guide her teaching, sermons, and reading life,” according to a Literary Partners Press announcement.  O’Day, professor of New Testament and preaching, served as dean of the School of Divinity from 2010 until June 30, 2018.  She died Sept. 22.

The David Coates Award for Non-Fiction honors outstanding achievements in non-fiction, including histories, memoir and creative non-fiction.  Coates “was an expert on American politics, economy and society, and he was a prolific scholar and author of books, articles, and blog posts on capitalism, immigration, and presidents,” according to the announcement.  At Wake Forest, he was Worrell Professor of Anglo-American Studies.  He died Aug. 7.