Atelier Lusso and the Borchard Center on Literary Arts

On May 26, PW received an email from Eric Sands, the artisan pen maker behind the California-based brand Atelier Lusso, along with a photograph. "You see the amazing people in this photo?" begins Sands's email. "All are recipients of the coveted Borchard Prize for literature, and each of these wonderfully talented writers is a part of the Atelier Lusso family."

The Albert and Elaine Borchard Foundation is located in Pasadena, California, and its mission is "to promote research, education, social justice, and the arts and to improve the human condition." The foundation "operates and supports its own research and education programs," which include the Center on Law and Aging, the Center on International Education, and the Center on Literary Arts.

The Borchard Center on Literary Arts offers roughly 20 annual fellowships to writers at every stage of their career, but it also is unusual in that its major prize, known as "El Grand Balam," provides substantial financial support over three years to a mid-career writer. Recipients of the award have an established publication history and a strong critical reputation. Potential candidates do not apply; rather, a nominating committee selects candidates from the public, and winners are announced each August. Only residents of the United States, Canada, and Mexico are eligible. Winners are strongly encouraged to attend the annual Literary Retreat and Encuentro with the fellowship recipients in San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico.

Michael Spurgeon is a respected novelist and Professor of English at American River College. He is Executive Vice President of the Borchard Foundation and Founder/Director of the Center on Literary Arts.