'Schindler's List' Author To Address Public, Sign Books

Monday, December 3rd 2007, 1:29 pm

By: News On 6

Thomas Keneally, world-renowned author of the novel â€œSchindlerâ€™s List,â€ will give a free public presentation while in town to accept the Tulsa Library Trust's 2007 Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award in December. Keneally will receive the award at a black-tie dinner on December 7. He speaks to the public and signs books at 10:30 a.m. December 8 at Central Library, Fourth Street and Denver Avenue. Copies of his works will be available for purchasing.

The Tulsa Library Trust gives the Helmerich award annually to an internationally acclaimed author who has written a distinguished body of work and made a major contribution to the field of literature and letters. The award consists of a $40,000 cash prize and an engraved crystal book.

One of the most successful modern Australian authors, Keneally has written about 30 novels, more than a dozen nonfiction works, plus several plays and screenplays during his prestigious career of more than four decades. He was short-listed for the Booker Prize in fiction on three occasions: in 1972 for â€œThe Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith,â€ in 1975 for â€œGossip From the Forestâ€ and in 1979 for â€œConfederates,â€ before winning the prize in 1982 with â€œSchindlerâ€™s Arkâ€ (aka â€œSchindlerâ€™s Listâ€), which served as the basis for Steven Spielbergâ€™s award-winning motion picture in 1993.

To prepare for Keneallyâ€™s visit to Tulsa, the Circle Cinema, 12 S. Lewis, is presenting a free screening of â€œSchindlerâ€™s Listâ€ at 2 p.m. on December 2 that is open to the public. Eva Unterman, chair of the Council for Holocaust Education, will introduce the film. Seating is limited on a first-come, first-served basis. The film showing is presented by the Circle Cinema in partnership with the Tulsa City-County Library, Tulsa Library Trust and Council for Holocaust Education.

â€œSchindlerâ€™s Listâ€ recounts the story of a German Catholic war profiteer, Oskar Schindler, who risked his life and went bankrupt in order to save more than 1,000 Jews from certain death in concentration camps during the Holocaust. Though the story of Oskar Schindler historically is true, Keneally wrote the book as a novel.

In addition, the Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries will offer â€œA Thomas Keneally Samplerâ€ as a part of its Books Sandwiched In series from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m. on December 3 at Central Library. James G. Watson, Frances W. Oâ€™Hornett professor of literature, University of Tulsa, will introduce the audience to Keneallyâ€™s works.

For more information about the Distinguished Author Award Series, call 596-7977 or visit the libraryâ€™s Web site at www.tulsalibrary.org.

Watch the video: "Schindler's List" Author To Visit