"This is an incredible honor and really such a grace to be in this room with so many people who love our Lord and who treat words as holy things," said IVP author Carolyn Weber as she accepted the Grace Irwin Prize, Canada's largest literary prize for Christian writers, for her memoir Surprised by Oxford. Her book Holy Is the Day (IVP Crescendo) was also one of the top four books in the running for the Word Awards Grace Irwin Prize for best Christian writing across Canada.

The Word Awards are designed to raise the profile of Christian Canadian writers and to encourage them in the pursuit of excellence. The awards, sponsored by the Word Guild, were presented at a black tie gala on June 11 in Mississauga, Ontario, and given in twenty-eight categories to Christian Canadian writers for works published in 2013.

Word Award entries were narrowed to a shortlist of about one hundred finalists. Judges looked for underlying evidence that the writer's Christian worldview informed and influenced the writing. Entries were judged according to excellence of writing, impact (the inspirational or informational value), suitability to target audience, originality and freshness of style.

"This is all new to me, still a bit of a shock!" said Weber of the recognition of both of her books. "But I am so very grateful. It is especially precious to me coming from Canada, and being back home now."

Surprised by Oxford is Weber's memoir of her surprising journey from agnosticism toward a dynamic personal faith in God during graduate studies in literature at Oxford University. Her journey eventually took her family back to Canada. She currently writes and lives in London, Ontario with her husband and their four children.

Holy Is the Day: Living in the Gift of the Present is a collection of spiritual reflections that traces the way God's grace is a gift of the present. Weber shares poignant stories of endurance, humility, compassion, remembrance and gratitude, as well a harrowing account of her near-death experience.

"Carolyn Weber's voice and the arc of her spiritual story, as seen in both Surprised by Oxford and Holy Is the Day, is an important one for us to listen to and engage with," said Jeff Crosby, IVP's associate publisher. "Her unique blend of humor, wisdom, and vision of the Jesus-following life is compelling. These awards, for two books of substance and clarity, are richly deserved."

For more information about Holy is the Day go to ivpress.us/holy-is-the-day. For more information about Carolyn Weber visit www.pressingsave.com.