Special Collections & Archives at the Ohio Book Awards

On October 15, 2025, the Ohioana Library Association held their annual Ohio Book Awards. The evening celebrated eight Ohio authors as well as the state’s rich literary history. With Governor Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine in the audience, the event was a great success.

This year’s Reader’s Choice Award went to author Amanda Flower for her mystery novel To Slip the Bonds of Earth. The book was inspired by a historical figure well-represented in Wright State University’s Special Collections & Archives: Katharine Wright.

The youngest of five siblings—and the only daughter—Katharine was just 15 years old when her mother died. Despite her young age, she assumed full responsibility for running the household and made supporting her father and brothers one of her highest priorities. Later in life, she traveled across Europe with Wilbur, Orville, and their flying machine, and took the lead in engaging with businessmen, reporters, and even royalty to advance the family’s business and reputation.

While Katharine accomplished a lot in her life, solving a murder wasn’t historically one of them. But that shouldn't stop authors like Amanda Flower from imagining how she might have approached such a challenge.

In Amanda’s book, Wilbur and Orville’s drawings for their flyer disappear during a holiday party. Instead of retrieving the plans that night, Katharine and Orville discover a dead body! True to her real-life character, this fictional Katharine dedicates herself to ensuring her brothers’ success.

Outreach and Reference Archivist Grace Ethier joined Amanda in conversation at the award ceremony. On stage, they discussed why historical women make the perfect sleuths in contemporary fiction. “I think it works well with historical women who may have been looked over because people didn’t notice them,” Amanda said. “They blend in with the wallpaper and they can notice things that other [more prominent] people would not be able to because they would be watched.”

Amanda shared that she relied on digitized collections from Wright State and the Library of Congress while researching her novel. Photographs from these collections helped her visualize the historic Dayton of Katharine’s time while letters provided insight into Katharine’s voice and personality. Grace noted that using digitized archival collections is a great way to bridge history and creative writing.

The Special Collections & Archives congratulate Amanda on her award-winning novel and extend gratitude to the Ohioana Library Association for the invitation to participate. You can watch the broadcast of the event on the Ohio Channel.

Photos were provided by Magical Minutes Photography.