Producer Zev Buffman Wins Raven Award from Mystery Writers of America

By Kenneth Jones
09 Dec 2009

Mystery Writers of America (MWA) has given theatrical producer Zev Buffman, founder of the annual International Mystery Writers' Festival, its 2010 Raven Award.

The festival in Owensboro, KY, is devoted to mystery and thriller plays, as well as symposia and readings related to other media and forms (radio plays, fiction, true-crime and more).

Buffman is president of RiverPark Center, where the mystery festival takes place. Visit newmysteries.org for more information about the festival.

Buffman has acted in Hollywood and produced Broadway shows (The Little Foxes with Liz Taylor) and national tours. He served as president and CEO for performing arts centers including the Jackie Gleason Center in Miami Beach, the Parker Playhouse in Fort Lauderdale, and the historic Saenger Theatre in New Orleans.

Established in 1953, the Raven Award is bestowed by MWA's board of directors for outstanding achievement in the mystery field outside the realm of creative writing.

MWA might be best known for its Edgar Awards, named after MWA's patron saint Edgar Allan Poe, presented to authors of distinguished work in various categories.

The 2010 Edgar Awards Banquet will be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City on April 29, 2010. Plays and screenplays are among the categories.

The Ballad of Emmett Till by Ifa Baayeza won the 2009 Edgar for Best Play. Martin McDonagh won Best Screenplay for "In Bruges" in 2009.

For more information on Mystery Writers of America, visit www.mysterywriters.org.