October was a month of awards for InterVarsity Press (IVP), with four books receiving honors from the Midwest Publishing Association (MPA). IVP designer David Fassett also received top honors from the Evangelical Christian Publishing Association (ECPA) for his work on Death Before the Fall.

The Midwest Publishing Association presented the awards to the four IVP books at its 63rd Midwest Publishing Book and Media Show on October 16. IVP won the top award, the Award of Excellence, in the scholarly/reference category for the Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity, in the general trade category for Playing God, and in the school publishing category for Christianity and Developmental Psychopathology. In the special trade category, IVP won Honorable Mention for Coffee with Jesus.

Through these awards, the MPA honors excellence in publishing and showcases all the talent the Midwest region has to offer. "We are honored and grateful to the Midwest Publishing Association for recognizing the hard work that goes on at IVP," said Anne Gerth, director of production and fulfillment. "And congratulations to Cindy Kiple for her beautiful cover designs on all the winners and interior layout on the Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity. Congratulations to Beth McGill for the great interior designs on Coffee with Jesus, Playing God, and for Christianity and Developmental Psychopathology. And congratulations to Jim Erhart for excellence in the manufacturing process."

Fassett received a Top Shelf Book Cover Award during an ECPA PUBu session at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. "We are thrilled that the ECPA has recognized David Fassett's excellent cover design work," Gerth said.

The Top Shelf program highlights book design excellence, intelligence and beauty. "We are grateful to all who participated in the program with their quality entries," ECPA President/CEO Mark Kuyper announced.