Fremd teacher named Illinois Author of the Year

The Illinois Association of Teachers of English has named Fremd High School English teacher Tony Romano as “2010 Illinois Author of the Year.”

Romano was recognized for his achievement by the District 211 Board of Education on Dec. 9.

His novel, “When the World Was Young” (Harper Collins), was named by the Chicago Tribune as a “Hot Summer Read” and listed among the newspaper's best books of the year.

It takes place in Chicago in the summer of 1957, as Italian immigrants Angela Rosa and Agostino Peccatori are caught between worlds, clinging to old-country ways in an era of upending change. But, the events of a single tragic evening are about to bring all of their lives to a sudden, irreversible standstill as a once resilient family begins to unravel under a crushing burden of guilt.

Romano's second work of fiction, “If You Eat, You Never Die: Chicago Tales” (Harper Collins), also was also listed as a best book of the year. This collection of two dozen stories deals with a neighborhood on Chicago's outskirts, where Fabio and Lucia Comingo have built a new American life and struggle to comprehend the influences that distract and change their restless young sons.

Romano is a two-time winner of a PEN Syndicated Fiction Project award. His work has been produced on National Public Radio's Sound of Writing series and syndicated to newspapers nationwide. He has taught English and psychology at William Fremd High School since 1981. He is a graduate of Steinmetz High School on Chicago's northwest side and DePaul University in Chicago.

As a teacher, Romano has twice received a “Those Who Excel” award from the Illinois State Board of Education. He has been an organizer of Fremd High School's Writers Week program since 1995, and is a frequent presenter and speaker at English/Language Arts conferences around the country.

For information on Romano and the award, visit iateonline.org/ and tonyromanoauthor.com.