Wanted: true tales about the Valley.

Cal State Northridge library buffs have launched a new contest for a San Fernando Valley Award for Nonfiction, the university announced Thursday. The winner could pocket $1,000.

“The San Fernando Valley, with a population of almost 2 million people, has a colorful history and bright future,” said Mark Stover, dean of CSUN’s Delmar T. Oviatt Library, in a statement. “The Valley has played an important role in the evolution of the city of Los Angeles.

“There are no other awards for books written specifically about the San Fernando Valley, so it makes perfect sense for the Oviatt Library at California State University, Northridge — the largest university in the region — to honor writers and researchers with this prize.”

The new accolade was hatched by the Friends of the Oviatt Library to recognize important contributions in nonfiction writing about the Valley and to promote research and writing related to the area, university officials said.

Authors, publishers and residents are being asked to submit entries by Dec. 1. Submissions must be original, nonfiction books published no earlier than 2011 that focus directly on the Valley; E-books may be submitted as bound, paper printouts.

Subject categories include history, the social and behavioral sciences, physical and life sciences, biography and autobiography and nonfiction concerning the humanities, according to contest guidelines

“Growth in the population, in industry and in the arts and culture make the Valley a rich source of material for nonfiction literature, including fields like history, journalism, the social and behavioral sciences, physical and life sciences, the arts, and biography,” Stover said.

The inaugural award will be judged by members of the Friends of the Oviatt board, CSUN faculty and a member of the library staff.

The winner of the San Fernando Valley Award for Nonfiction, which will be announced at a CSUN reception next spring, will receive $1,000 — unless a $250 honorable mention is presented, in which case it will earn $750. For information, call 818-677-2638, or visit library.csun.edu/Friends/nonfiction-award.

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