The Connecticut Book Awards were held on October 22, 2017, at the Mark Twain House & Museum. The over one hundred people who turned out for the event was a real testimony to the value Connecticut’s residents place on quality literature.

We were very fortunate to have such wonderful presenters for each category: they did a remarkable job. They were sincere, funny, and gave a thumbnail sketch on each of the finalists’ books that make you want to run out and buy a copy. We urge you to visit this page for the full finalist list and then visit your local bookseller.

We were especially fortunate in our keynote speaker, New York Times bestselling author Beatriz Williams. She was witty, entertaining, and ‘gets’ Connecticut Humanities, the Connecticut Center for the Book, and an author’s struggle to produce a piece of work.

Best of all, people left happy, elated, and buoyed up by the thought that there are book awards again. The Connecticut Book Awards give people faith and confidence that the written word has value and is important.

The winners in each category were:

Poetry
Fugitives by Danielle Pieratti

Special Citation
The Banquet by Gray Jacobik

Young Readers
The Weight of Zero by Karen Fortunati

Nonfiction
Never Look an American in the Eye by Okey Ndibe

Fiction
Cajun Waltz by Robert H. Patton

Congratulations to all!