Turner Tomorrow Fellowship Award

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The Turner Tomorrow Fellowship Award was created in 1989 by Ted Turner, to be awarded to a fiction work offering creative and positive solutions to global problems. Ishmael by Daniel Quinn won the award in 1991, which will not be awarded again, and was selected out of 2500 entries by a celebrity panel including famous sci-fi writer Ray Bradbury. The award was worth $500,000, the largest single sum ever awarded to a single work of literature.

Turner created the prize in hopes of combining literary merit with potential solutions to near-term environmental concerns. While unveiling the award he said, "The great minds of today need to focus on the problems of global significance if humanity is to see new tomorrows" adding, "These awards are designed to encourage writing by authors throughout the world and in all languages that creates positive solutions to global problems."

In addition to a $500,000 award, the fellowship included a hardcover publishing contract with Turner Broadcasting's publishing unit and $50,000 to market the book and a film options. Four awards of merit were also offered, which included $50,000 a publishing contract and film option.

In addition to Ray Bradbury, the judges included: Wallace Stegner, novelist Peter Matthiessen and Betty and Ian Ballantine, founders of Ballantine Books. Thomas H. Guinzburg, former president of Viking Press and founder of Paris Review, was the managing director.