“Chula the Fox,” written by Chickasaw citizen Anthony Perry and published by the Chickasaw Press, received the Gold Benjamin Franklin Award from the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA).

Published May 26, 2019

CHICAGO — “Chula the Fox,” an 18th century coming-of-age story, received the Gold Benjamin Franklin Award from the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA). Set in the Chickasaw Homeland near present-day Mississippi, the historical novel received the award in the Young Reader: Fiction (8-12 years old) category.

Written by Chickasaw citizen Anthony Perry and published by the Chickasaw Press, “Chula the Fox” is steeped in Chickasaw language and culture. It tells a frank story about Chickasaw lives and the challenges Native Americans faced during the early 18th century.

“Chula the Fox” is published by the White Dog Press, a subsidiary of the Chickasaw Press. The first Native American tribal press of its kind, the Chickasaw Press was created to allow the Chickasaw Nation to tell its own history and stories. Chickasaw Press publications enable the Chickasaw Nation to share its rich history and culture with non-Chickasaws, as well as educating Chickasaw citizens.

According to the IBPA, the Benjamin Franklin Award program recognizes excellence and innovation in independent publishing. Winners were recognized during the 31st Annual Awards IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award Ceremony in Chicago, Illinois. A gold winner was selected from each of the 54 categories.

“The mission of the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award program is simple: to recognize excellence and innovation in independent publishing,” said IBPA CEO Angela Bole in an IBPA press release. “Unlike many other award programs, the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award program demands both editorial and design excellence and entrants are judged independently on both.”

The Benjamin Franklin Award selection process is extensive. “Chula the Fox,” along with the more than 1,500 submitted titles, was judged by 160 librarians, booksellers and editorial experts. A process requiring seven months to complete, the level of detail required in judging has helped the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award program remain one of the highest honors for independent publishers.

About the Chickasaw Press

Chickasaw Press is an independent publishing house of the Chickasaw Nation, the first Native American publisher of its kind. The goal of the Chickasaw Press is to preserve, perpetuate and provide an awareness of Chickasaw history and culture, by providing an outlet for Chickasaw authors and scholars. The Chickasaw Press enhances relationships with the greater community and creates an understanding of Chickasaw self-governance and sovereignty. Stories told through the Chickasaw Press adhere to ethical and culturally appropriate research and publication practices.

The addition of White Dog Press as a secondary imprint allows the Chickasaw Press to build upon its vision. The White Dog Press embraces popular genres and creative projects that do not fit under the umbrella of research and scholarship, enabling it to make additional stories available for the average reader.

White Dog Press affords the Chickasaw Press the opportunity to further share the history, culture, and experiences of the Chickasaw people, as well as other Native American communities, through literary categories such as historical fiction, children’s books, young adult literature, how-to books, travel writing, creative or narrative nonfiction, poetry and memoirs.

For more information, visit ChickasawPress.com, or call (580) 436-7282.