Biographers International Organization Explained

Biographers International Organization
Size:250px
Leader Title:Founder
Leader Name:James McGrath Morris[1]
Leader Title2:President
Leader Name2:Linda Leavell
Leader Title3:Executive Director
Leader Name3:Michael Gately
Membership:Approx. 500 members
Headquarters:Santa Fe, NM
Formation:2010
Type:501(c)3 organization
Purpose:BIO promotes the art and craft of biography, and furthers the professional interests of its practitioners.
Region Served:International
Website:www.biographersinternational.org

Biographers International Organization (BIO) is an international, non-profit, 501 (c)(3) organization founded to promote the art and craft of biography, and to further the professional interests of its practitioners. The organization was founded in 2010 by a committee of noted biographers, led by James McGrath Morris, who served as BIO's first Executive Director. The president of BIO as of 2019 is Linda Leavell. The executive director as of 2020 is Michael Gately.

Each year, the organization presents its highest award, the BIO Award, to an individual who has made notable contributions to advancing the art and craft of biography.[2] BIO's annual Plutarch Award is given to the best biography of the year – as judged by biographers.[3]

Mission

BIO aims to promote the art and craft of biography, cultivate a diverse community of biographers, encourage public interest in biography, and provide educational and fellowship opportunities that support the work of biographers worldwide.[4]

BIO fulfills its mission by:

History

BIO was granted its corporate charter on May 26, 2010, as a 501 (c) 6. On December 27, 2019, BIO became a 501 (c) 3.

BIO grew from the vision of biographer James McGrath Morris, creator and editor of The Biographer's Craft newsletter. In July 2008, Morris wrote an open letter to biographers,[6] from which a grass-roots organization of practicing and apprentice biographers began to emerge. On March 26, 2009, the first formal organizing meeting took place at the Leon Levy Center for Biography at CUNY, and a temporary 15-member founding committee was formed to function as an Interim Board of Directors.

In February 2010, the Interim Board announced the formation of an Advisory Council composed of leading and noted biographers and agents. The current Advisory Council includes Debby Applegate, Taylor Branch, Robert Caro, Ron Chernow, Tim Duggan, John A. Farrell, Michael Holroyd, Peniel Joseph, Hermione Lee, Andrew Lownie, Megan Marshall, John Matteson, Jon Meacham, Marion Meade, Candice Millard, James McGrath Morris, Andrew Morton, Arnold Rampersad, Hans Renders, Stacy Schiff, Martin J. Sherwin, Gayfryd Steinberg, Will Swift, William Taubman, Terry Teachout, and Claire Tomalin.

BIO convened its first conference in May 2010, at the University of Massachusetts Boston. It has since held its conference annually, at various locations in the United States, including Washington, D.C., New York City, and Los Angeles.

Awards

Each year, BIO presents several awards to honor biographers, editors, librarians and archivists, and their work.

Year

BIO Award

Biblio Award

Plutarch Award

Editorial Excellence

2010Jean Strouse
2011Robert Caro
2012Arnold RampersadEdward Comstock, University of Southern California
2013Ron ChernowDavid Smith, New York Public LibraryRobert Caro, The Passage of Power
2014Stacy SchiffWallace Dailey and Heather Cole, CuratorsTheodore Roosevelt Collection, Harvard UniversityLinda Leavell, Holding On Upside Down: The Life and Work of Marianne MooreRobert Gottlieb
2015Taylor BranchThomas Mann, Library of CongressHermione Lee, Penelope Fitzgerald: A LifeJonathan Segal
2016Claire TomalinDave Grabarek, Library of VirginiaRosemary Sullivan, Stalin’s Daughter: The Extraordinary and Tumultuous Life of Svetlana AlliluyevaNan A. Talese
2017Candice MillardKaren Alder Abramson & StaffJohn F. Kennedy Presidential Library and MuseumRuth Franklin, Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted LifeRobert Weil
2018Richard HolmesMichael T. Ryan, VP & DirectorPatricia J. Klingenstein Library, New-York Historical SocietyCaroline Fraser, Tim Duggan
2019James McGrath Morris[7] Nancy Kuhl,[8] Curator of PoetryYale Collection of American Literature, Beinecke LibraryDavid W. Blight, Ileene Smith
2020Hermione Lee(No award presented due to COVID-19)Sonia Purnell, A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War IIGayatri Patnaik
2021David Levering LewisJeff Flannery, Reference and Reader Services Section in the Manuscript Division of the Library of CongressA. N. Wilson, The Mystery of Charles DickensBob Bender
2022Megan MarshallClaudia Anderson, The LBJ Presidential LibraryFrances Wilson, Burning Man: The Trials of D. H. Lawrence.Gerald Howard
2023Kitty KelleyDavid Ferriero, Archivist of the United StatesJennifer Homans, Mr. B: George Balanchine’s 20th Century.Michael Korda

Publications

The Biographer's Craft is a monthly online newsletter that active BIO members receive as part of their membership. TBC features original, non-fiction articles of general interest to biographers, writers, and readers of biography. Regular features include interviews with notable biographers, and a listing of biographies sold to publishers, as well as biographies published each month. BIO also publishes a quarterly online newsletter that promotes biography and the organization to members of the publishing community.

The current editor of The Biographer's Craft is Holly Van Leuven.

Leadership

At the first conference in Boston on May 15, 2010,[9] Nigel Hamilton was chosen to assume the presidency, succeeding Debby Applegate, who had served as interim president. Charles J. Shields was elected vice president, and eleven others were selected to serve one- to two-year terms on the board. In its first actions, the board selected James McGrath Morris to serve as executive director.

Since 2010, BIO's president and vice president have been elected biennially by BIO members. Its Board of Directors are broken into two groups, each of which are also elected biennially. The current Board is composed of 15 members, including the president and vice president.

Term

President

Vice President

2009Debby Applegate (interim)None
2010–2012Nigel HamiltonCharles J. Shields
2012–2014James McGrath MorrisBrian Jay Jones
2014–2016Brian Jay JonesCathy Curtis
2016–2018Will SwiftDeirdre David
2018–2019Cathy CurtisDeirdre David
2019–2020Linda LeavellKarin Roffman
2020–2021Linda LeavellSarah S. Kilborne

Membership

BIO offers varying levels of membership, depending on a member's professional status. BIO is open to professional, amateur, and aspiring biographers and documentarians around the world, and also permits membership for readers of biography, students and corporations.[10]

Notable Members

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Vitu. Teya. Author petitions to change name of DeVargas Center. 2020-06-30. Santa Fe New Mexican. en.
  2. Web site: BIO Award. https://web.archive.org/web/20150501203911/http://biographersinternational.org/about/annual-awards/. 2015-05-01.
  3. Web site: 2018-11-07. The Plutarch Award. 2020-08-17. Biographers International Organization. en.
  4. Web site: About BIO. 14 December 2012 .
  5. Web site: BIO Conference. 3 March 2019 .
  6. Web site: James McGrath Morris, "An Open Letter to Biographers," The Biographer's Craft, July 2008.
  7. Web site: tmobley-martinez@sfnewmexican.com. Tracy Mobley-Martinez . Santa Fe writer wins biographer award. 2020-08-27. Santa Fe New Mexican. en.
  8. Web site: 2019-05-24. Beinecke Curator Nancy Kuhl Honored for Extraordinary Service to Biography. 2020-08-17. Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library. en.
  9. Web site: Jan Gardner, "Biographers, Unite," boston.com, May 23, 2010.
  10. Web site: Join BIO. 14 December 2012 .