NEWS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 1, 2013
U. S. Navy Captain Edward Zellem has won the prestigious Gold Medal in the Reference category from the Military Writers Society of America (MWSA) for his book Zarbul Masalha: 151 Afghan Proverbs. The book has received praise from such luminaries as retired General David H. Petraeus who wrote, “I hope you enjoy the book as much as I have.” Zellem received his Gold Medal at the awards banquet held during MWSA’s annual conference held September 26-29, 2013, in Dayton, Ohio.
Zarbul Masalha (“Proverbs” in the Afghan language Dari) is a bilingual English-Dari collection of 151 Afghan Proverbs that reveal the cultural richness, wit, and imagination of the Afghan people. In a highlight of similarities between Afghan and American cultures, Zellem found the American equivalent to a number of Afghan Proverbs.
Zarbul Masalha contains 50 illustrations by teenage students from Marefat High School, a community school in one of the poorest districts of Kabul that was founded in 1994 to educate Afghan refugees.
MWSA President Dwight Jon Zimmerman, a #1 New York Times bestselling author, said, “Captain Zellem’s collection is an outstanding work that underscores our common humanity. During the night of the Awards banquet, he received hundreds of tweets from friends and fans in Afghanistan—including from members of the Afghan government.”
The Military Writers Society of America is a non-profit organization that is the world's largest writer’s association dedicated to the military genre. It has the most comprehensive award program for the creative arts with military themes in the world. Its membership includes authors, artists, musicians, and poets.
###
Contact:
