It’ll Be Easter in October

George Easter, the founder and editor/publisher of Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine, has been selected to receive the 2017 David Thompson Special Service Award. Taking its name from a former co-owner of Houston, Texas’ Murder by the Book (who died in 2010), this commendation recognizes “extraordinary efforts to develop and promote the crime-fiction field.” Easter, a resident of the Salt Lake City, Utah, area, will be given with his prize during this year’s Bouchercon, which is to be held in Toronto, Canada, in mid-October.

A news release from Bouchercon organizers explains that in addition to his 25 years of work on the magazine, Easter

conceived the Barry Awards (named after fan Barry Gardner) that are presented by Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine in various categories for excellence. George also presents the Don Sandstrom Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement in Mystery Fandom (named after fan Don Sandstrom).

George has served on the Bouchercon National Board, has attended every Bouchercon, except two, since 1991 in Pasadena, California, and volunteered to produce the Program Book for the 2000 Bouchercon in Denver, Colorado. He was also responsible for getting publishers to donate books to the Book Bazaar giveaway at last year’s Bouchercon in New Orleans.

Previous recipients of the David Thompson award include Marv Lachman, Otto Penzler, Bill and Toby Gottfried, and The Rap Sheet’s own British correspondent, Ali Karim.

(Hat tip to Bill Crider’s Pop Culture Magazine.)