Michelle Bailat-Jones’s Fog Island Mountains, Winner of the First Christopher Doheny Award, Now Available for Preorder at Audible

Audible, Inc., the world’s largest seller and producer of downloadable audiobooks and other spoken-word content, today announced that Michelle Bailat-Jones’s debut novel, Fog Island Mountains, is now available for preorder at Audible.com. The novel is the recipient of the first-ever Christopher Doheny Award, established by Audible in 2013 in conjunction with The Center for Fiction in memory of Christopher Doheny, a longtime Audible employee who died at age 31 of cystic fibrosis. The novel, chosen from among 60 eligible submissions and a shortlist of eleven finalists, will be produced in audio by Audible Studios, and will also be available in print, ebook and CD versions via Tantor Media on November 4.

In Fog Island Mountains, a South African expatriate living in a small town in Japan must face a terminal cancer diagnosis. His wife, trying to hide from the truth, flees and then commits a grave infidelity. Narrated by the town’s oldest storyteller, the novel shines a light on actions committed in grief, and explores storytelling as a form of healing. Debut author Bailat-Jones is a translator of French literature and the reviews editor for Necessary Fiction; born in Japan, she currently lives in Switzerland.

“Audible is proud to be a part of the publication of this deserving novel,” said Beth Anderson, Audible EVP and Publisher. “Chris Doheny was a writer himself who loved reading, discussing and working with good books, and we’re confident he’d be happy that this fine work of fiction is the first recipient of a prize honoring his memory.” Anderson served as a judge of the prize on behalf of Audible, along with acclaimed writers Dani Shapiro, Meghan O’Rourke and Ann Hood and Audible Director of Editorial Merchandising Diana Dapito.

“I’m incredibly honored that my novel was selected as the first winner of the Christopher Doheny Prize, and I’m so happy this new award now exists to highlight the work of those who are writing their way through issues of illness and grief,” said Bailat-Jones. “Thank you so much to Audible and The Center for Fiction for their support, and my greatest thanks go to the late Christopher Doheny for his vision and the anonymous role he played in bringing Fog Island Mountains to publication.”

“As many of us at Tantor knew and admired Chris, we’re honored to publish the first Christopher Doheny Award winner, Michelle Bailat-Jones,” said Laura Colebank, Partner at Tantor Media, which will publish the novel in print, ebook and CD formats. “We’re excited to help literary fans discover this talented author’s work in all formats.”

The winner of The Christopher Doheny Award, awarded annually, will demonstrate high literary standards while exploring the impact of illness on the patient, family and friends, and others. In recognition that authors frequently need support during the writing process, both manuscripts in process and completed manuscripts are eligible. Submissions are now welcome for this year’s award at DohenyAward@audible.com; deadline for submitted documents is October 30, 2014.

About Christopher Doheny (March 24, 1981 – February 20, 2013)

Chris Doheny joined Audible as a summer intern in 2002, just a few years after the company was founded. After graduating from Georgetown University in 2003, he returned to Audible and spent the next eight years helping to build the company. Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when he was just seven months old, Chris strived to live as normal a life as possible. Chris received a double lung transplant in June 2010. He died on February 20, 2013.

ABOUT AUDIBLE, INC.

Audible, Inc., an Amazon.com, Inc. subsidiary (NASDAQ:AMZN), is the leading provider of premium digital spoken audio information and entertainment on the Internet, offering customers a new way to enhance and enrich their lives every day. Audible’s mission is to establish literate listening as a core tool for anyone seeking to be more productive, better informed, or more thoughtfully entertained. Audible content includes more than 150,000 audio programs from leading audiobook publishers, broadcasters, entertainers, magazine and newspaper publishers, and business information providers. Audible is also the preeminent provider of spoken-word audio products for Apple’s iTunes® Store.

ABOUT TANTOR

Tantor Media, Inc. is a leading independent publisher of thousands of bestselling authors and award-winning titles, located in Old Saybrook, CT. Tantor titles are available directly from tantor.com and through all major retailers and distributors.

ABOUT THE CENTER FOR FICTION

The Center for Fiction is the only non-profit literary organization in the United States devoted solely to this vital art form. With all its resources, including an exceptional book collection, great writing classes, an expanding website, and an ever-growing array of creative events and awards, The Center seeks to serve the reading public, to build a larger audience for fiction, and to create a place both in its beautiful building in New York and online where readers and writers can share their passion for literature. www.centerforfiction.org.