Dorval, QC, Canada — Cyborg Insect Books, publisher of The Antunite Chronicles, notes that the fictional ant and titular character of the acclaimed modern-day classic, Antuna's Story, would be a more deserved recipient of the RBG Women’s Leadership Award than 2024’s originally announced winners.

As a female resistance fighter, Antuna displayed more characteristics the award was intended to recognize, including leadership, empathy, and humility, than the now cancelled awardees. Author Terry Birdgenaw agrees with his publisher's sentiments: "Antuna did not seek the limelight, but was an inspiring female leader that had compassion for her fellow insects and cared about democracy."

Cyborg Insect Books applauds the Dwight D. Opperman Foundation's decision to cancel this year's gala, which had intended to honor powerful men such as Rupert Murdoch and Elon Musk. Birdgenaw further stated: "Antuna with her keen olfactory sense would have easily detected the foul odor these choices made and stood up to the perceived indignity that rightly irked the Ginsburg family."


The publisher admits the nomination of Antuna is farcical, but no more a joke than some of the first proposed awardees for 2024. We believe the board’s choices fall best in the category of ‘what were they thinking?’ Although Antuna's Story has received numerous literary awards and an average 4.7/5-star rating by Amazon reviewers, the novel still warrants a larger readership. According to Birdgenaw: "As a fictional insect, Antuna is clearly not eligible for such an award, but her story is an inspiration to those who wish to fight injustice and should be read by all who care about today’s fragile geopolitical environment."