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ECPA Announces 2011 Christian Book Award Winners

Bestselling Bonhoeffer biography named Christian Book of the Year

Contact: Mark Kuyper, President & CEO, ECPA, 480-966-3998

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., May 3, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) has announced the winners for the 2011 Christian Book Awards. Presented annually to the finest in Christian publishing since 1978, the Christian Book Awards honor titles in six categories: Bibles, Bible Reference, Non-Fiction, Fiction, Children, and Inspiration.

One title, "Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy" by Eric Metaxas (Thomas Nelson), received the top honor by being named the Christian Book of the Year. Called a "biography of uncommon power," this 600+ page "weighty yet riveting analysis" on Dietrich Bonhoeffer has appeared on several bestseller lists, including the ECPA Top 50 and the New York Times lists; and has been featured in the Washington Post, Christianity Today, Publishers Weekly, NPR, FoxNews, CSpan, Harpers, and more. Published last year, its impact and status as a classic is already recognized, making six "Best of 2010" lists including Barnes & Noble, Kirkus Reviews, Relevant and Christianbook.com. The title is also the winner of the Non-Fiction category for this year's Christian Book Awards.

The 2011 Christian Book Award Winners are:

BIBLES:
"HCSB Study Bible"
Jeremy Royal Howard and Ed Blum, General Editors (B&H Publishing Group)

BIBLE REFERENCE:
"Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Old Testament"
John H. Walton, General Editor (Zondervan)

CHILDREN:
"The Action Bible"
Sergio Cariello, Illustrator; Doug Mauss, General Editor (David C Cook)

FICTION:
"Almost Heaven"
Chris Fabry (Tyndale House Publishers)

INSPIRATION:
"You Changed My Life"
Max Lucado (Thomas Nelson)

NON-FICTION category winner and CHRISTIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR:
"Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy"
Eric Metaxas (Thomas Nelson)

From hundreds of entry titles published in the last year, the Christian Book Awards select five finalists in each category based on both editorial excellence and category-specific criteria. The winners in each category were announced at the ECPA Awards banquet held Monday, May 2, during ECPA's annual Executive Leadership Summit in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

To view the winning titles, go to www.christianbookexpo.com/christianbookawards.

The Christian Book Awards, established in 1978 as the Gold Medallion Book Awards by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA), recognize the absolute highest quality in Christian books. Based on excellence in content, literary quality, design and impact, the Christian Book Awards are the oldest and among the most prestigious in the religious publishing industry.

For more information, go to
www.ecpa.org.