04/10/2008

English professor Kim Edward's bestselling novel, "The Memory Keeper's Daughter," wins 2008 British Book Award

The bestselling novel "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" by College of Arts and Sciences assistant professor of English Kim Edwards has been named the winner of the 2008 British Book Award in popular fiction; a film based on the novel will also premiere this weekend. The British Book Awards are described as "the Oscars of the book trade." Other authors honored this year include J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter Series, and Ian McEwan, author of "Atonement."

The Lifetime cable channel will debut the drama based on "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" at 9 p.m. EDT Saturday, April 12. Lifetime's websit features this synopsis of the plot: "The birth of a child should be the happiest moment in a couple's life. But when a doctor's wife has twins, one of whom has Down syndrome, this physician makes the difficult decision to send one of his babies away. An attending nurse discovers his plan and intervenes, putting into motion events that will haunt the doc, his wife and his son for the next 20 years." The novel sets the story in Lexington, Ky.

The feature film stars actors Dermot Mulroney, Gretchen Mol and two-time Oscar nominee Emily Watson. For more information, visit the Lifetime site at http://www.mylifetime.com/on-tv.