About the Maria Thomas Fiction Award
Roberta Worrick
THE MARIA THOMAS FICTION AWARD, first presented in 1990, is named after the novelist Maria Thomas [Roberta Worrick (Ethiopia 1971–73)]
She was the author of the well-reviewed novel AntoniaSaw the Oryx First, and two collections of short stories, Come to Africa and Save Your Marriage: And Other Stories and African Visas: A Novella and Stories, all set in Africa.
Roberta lost her life in August, 1989, while working in Ethiopia for a relief agency. She went down in the plane crash that also killed her husband, Thomas Worrick (Ethiopia 1971–73), and Congressman Mickey Leland of Texas.
Awards are presented to books published during the previous year.
To purchase any of these books from Amazon.com, click on the book cover or the bold book title, and Peace Corps Worldwide — an Amazon Associate — will receive a small remittance that will help support these annual writers awards.
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The winners of the Maria Thomas Fiction Awards are —
2024
One Beats the Bush— The Max Donovan Adventures, #1
Riall Nolan (Senegal 1965-68)
2022
A Thousand Points of Light
Marc-Vincent Jackson (Senegal 1986—89)
2021
Streets of Golfito: A Novel
by Jim LaBate (Costa Rica 1973—75)
2020
With Kennedy In The Land Of The Dead: A Novel Of The 1960s
Will Siegel (Ethiopia 1962–64)
2019
Remind Me Again What Happened
Joanna Luloff (Sri Lanka 1996-98)
2018
Dead Cow Road: Life on the Front Lines of an International Crisis
Mark G. Wentling (Honduras 1967–69, Togo, 1970–73; PC Staff: Togo, Gabon, Niger 1973–77)
2017
Judenstaat
Simone Zelitch (Hungary 1991–93)
2016
Landfall
Ellen Urbani (Guatemala 1991–93)
2015
Kilometer 99 — A Novel
Tyler McMahon (El Salvador 1999–2002)
2014
The Glory of the Kings
Dan Close (Ethiopia 1964–66)
2013
The Beach at Galle Road: Stories from Sri Lanka
Joanna R. Luloff (Sri Lanka 1996–98)
2012
The Civilized World: A Novel in Stories
Susi Wyss (Central African Republic 1990–92)
2011
Cold Snap: Bulgaria Stories
Cynthia Morrison Phoel (Bulgaria 1994–96)
2010
In An Uncharted Country
Clifford Garstang (Korea 1976–77)
2009
The Baker’s Boy: A Novel
Barry Kitterman (Belize 1976–78)
2008
Disturbance-Loving Species
Peter Chilson (Niger 1985–89)
2007
Whiteman
Tony D’Souza (Cote D’Ivorie 2000–02, Madagascar 2002–03)
2006
The Manhattan Beach Project
by Peter Lefcourt (Togo 1962–64)
2005
This Is Not Civilization
Robert Rosenberg (Kyrgyzstan 1994–96)
2004
Know It by Heart
Karl Luntta (Botswana 1977–80)
2003
In Revere, In Those Days
Roland Merullo (Micronesia 1979-80)
2002
Field Observations: Stories
Rob Davidson (Grenada 1990–92)
2001
Steal My Heart
Mark Brazaitis (Guatemala 1990–93)
2000
Saviors
Paul Eggers (Malaysia 1976–78)
1999
Ahmed’s Revenge
Richard Wiley (Korea 1967–69)
o
1998
Stone Cowboy
Mark Jacobs (Paraguay 1978–80)
1997
The Ivory Crocodile
Eileen Drew (Zaire 1979–81)
1996
Polite Society
Melanie Sumner (Senegal 1988–90)
1995
Green Fires: Assault on Eden: A Novel of the Ecuadorian Rainforest
Marnie Mueller (Ecuador 1963–65)
1994
Swimming in the Volcano
Bob Shachochis (Eastern Caribbean 1975–76)
1993
Incident at Akabal
Joanne Omang (Turkey 1964–66)
1992
Mating
Norm Rush (Botswana staff 1968–73)
1991
Where You Once Belonged
Kent Haruf (Turkey 1965–67)
1990
For his collected works
Paul Theroux (Malawi 1963–65)