A Daughter’s Gift wins international award

May 7, 2013

Ten years after its original release, the powerful story of a father-daughter relationship that defies the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease has won an international award. The special tenth anniversary edition of A Daughter’s Gift, by Canadian author Jacqui Tam, has won an Independent Publisher Book Awards –– or ‘IPPY’ –– silver medal.

“This book is my dad’s story,” Jacqui says. “I’ve always hoped sharing our experiences could help the families of people struggling with Alzheimer’s. To receive this kind of recognition is truly an honor.”

The IPPY awards accept submissions from independent and university publishers, and this year received more than 5,200 entries from 10 countries. A Daughter’s Gift took silver in its Memoir category, with gold going to a title published by Michigan State University Press. Other winners came from publishers such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the White House Historical Association, and Princeton University Press.

Jacqui and Kenneth Tam at the IPPY Awards Gala in New York.

A Daughter’s Gift, Jacqui’s first work, serves as the cornerstone for the book list of her family’s award-winning independent publishing house, Iceberg Publishing. With Tam as its editor-in-chief, Iceberg celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2012, and has been noted for its innovative approach to the use of new storytelling platforms, such as ebooks.

“We’re a small, family-run publishing company, but we like to punch above our weight,” explains Kenneth Tam, Jacqui’s son and fellow Iceberg author.

“We’re very glad of the opportunities we’ve had, and recognition we’ve received of late,” Jacqui concludes. “We look forward to continuing to tell stories that encourage people to look beneath the surface. Forgive the pun, but A Daughter’s Gift is just the tip of the Iceberg.”