‘The Love Dare’ Wins SEPA Award at Expolit

By Christian Retailing May 23, 2011

For the second consecutive year, Desafío del amor, the Spanish translation of The Love Dare by Fireproof movie-making brothers Stephen and Alex Kendrick (published in English by B&H Books in 2008), won the Harold Kregel Book of the Year award for 2010, during the Spanish Evangelical Products Association (SEPA) Awards.

The
winners were named last night in Miami at the 19th annual Expolit
convention, the largest trade show in the U.S. for Spanish-language
Christian products.

Published by B&H Español, Desafío del amor was also
recognized as the Harold Kregel 2009 Book of the Year award for “most
inspiring and impactful book.” “Sales of the book peaked in the U.S.
around the time the movie Fireproof came out, but in Latin America the
wave didn’t arrive till later,” said B&H Publishing Group Vice
President of International Sales Jim Cook, noting that more than 400,000
copies of the book have been sold. B&H Español also won the Best
Catalog.

Additionally, Desafío del amor received a Platinum Award for lifetime sales of at least 250,000, at last night’s awards.

Zondervan’s Spanish-language division, Editorial Vida, won two of the five major SEPA awards, including Publisher of the Year and Best Original Book for En honor al Espíritu Santo (In Honor of the Holy Spirit) by Cash Luna. The book was also recognized with a Gold Award (sales of at least 100,000).

Miami-based Luciano Books was named for Distributor of the Year.

Editorial Portavoz (Kregel Publications’ Spanish imprint) won the Best-Selling Nonfiction Book for La gratitud and El perdón (Choosing Gratitude and Choosing Forgiveness—two books in one). Written by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, the books were published in English by Moody Publishers.

Editorial Portavoz was also recognized with two Gold Awards for El mártir de las catacumbas (Martyr of the Catacombs—published in English by Barbour Publishing) and Biblia de estudio MacArthur (The MacArthur Study Bible—published in English by Thomas Nelson) by John MacArthur.

Editorial Unilit garnered Platinum Awards for Buenos días Espíritu Santo (Good Morning, Holy Spirit—published in English by Thomas Nelson) by Benny Hinn and the Santa Biblia Reina Valera Revisada 1960 (Holy Bible RVR 1960 version).

Charisma Media’s Spanish group, Casa Creación was recognized with two Gold Awards for ¡El cielo es tan real! (Heaven Is So Real!) by Choo Thomas and Controlando sus emociones (Managing Your Emotions, published in English by FaithWords) by Joyce Meyer.

Also honored with two Gold Awards were Editorial Unilit for Cuando lo que Dios hace no tiene sentido (When God Doesn’t Make Sense, published in English byTyndale House Publishers) by James Dobson and Sociedades Bíblicas Unidas (United Bible Societies) for Biblia Amigos por siempre (Friends Forever Bible).

Editorial Vida won the Best Book Cover Award for Biblia mi día con Dios (My Day with God Bible) and Best Ad for Cristiano ateo (The Christian Atheist) by Craig Groeschel—both published in English by Zondervan.

During
the SEPA gala dinner and awards, Florida Congressman David Rivera
presented a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition to keynote
speaker and author Luis Palau for “outstanding and invaluable service to
the community.”

Sociedades Bíblicas Unidas also unveiled its newest Spanish Bible translation, Reina Valera Contemporánea, which updates the popular Reina Valera 1960 translation.

Expolit 2011 runs through tomorrow, May 24 at the Doubletree Hotel & Miami Airport Convention Center in Miami.

Click here for more information on Expolit 2011.