Evil Incarnate

The Evil Companions Literary Award might sound like it celebrates horror writers, but the name comes from a group of Denver writers and lawyers who met in the 1950s and '60s to drink and discuss literature. The group was revived in 1992, which is when it began honoring writers who...

By Michelle Baldwin

April 8, 2010

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The Evil Companions Literary Award might sound like it celebrates horror writers, but the name comes from a group of Denver writers and lawyers who met in the 1950s and '60s to drink and discuss literature. The group was revived in 1992, which is when it began honoring writers who embody the spirit of the Evil Companions. Over nearly two decades, the award has gone to four Pulitzer Prize winners and several recipients of the National Book Award. Tonight it goes to Indian author Bharati Mukherjee, who has written seven novels and two non-fiction books.

Author, professor and Denver Post columnist David Milofsky -- who will emcee the ceremony -- stresses that while Mukherjee might not be household name, "often the award is a good chance to introduce people to authors who are not household names and encourage them to check out this person's work." While literature events and readings can sometimes seem intimidating, adds Milofsky, "at Evil Companions, no one feels like it's a rarefied, academic thing. All kinds of people come; it's a fun event and a great party."

The evening begins at 6 p.m. with an Indian buffet in the Oxford Hotel ballroom; the presentation starts at 7. Ticket prices start at $70, with a portion of sales benefiting the Denver Public Library. For information and tickets, visit www.dplfriends.org or call 720-865-2051. The Oxford is at 1600 17th Street.
Thu., April 8, 6 p.m., 2010

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