Submissions for the Connecticut Book Awards opened on January 13, 2020, and the deadline for all categories is April 17, 2020. Criteria, guidelines and the online submission form may be found here. Entry fees start at $40.00 for a 2,000 copy or less print run.

Connecticut Book Awards recognize the best books by authors and illustrators from Connecticut or books about Connecticut. Categories include Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Books for Young Readers broken into three subcategories: Picture Books, Fiction, and Nonfiction.

A special category is called the Bruce Fraser ‘Spirit of Connecticut’ Award. This award is in memory of long-time director Bruce Fraser and celebrates Connecticut’s sense of place.

The awards ceremony will be held in October 2020. The final date is to be determined.

Winners of the 2019 Connecticut Book Awards

Poetry

Cortney Davis, Taking Care of Time | Wheelbarrow Press

Nonfiction

Andrew Kahrl, Free the Beaches | Yale University Press

Young Readers: Fiction

Susan Hood, Lifeboat 12 | Simon & Schuster

Young Readers: Nonfiction

Karen Romano Young, Shark Quest: Protecting the Ocean’s Top Predators | Lerner Publishing Group

Young Readers: Picture Book

Wendell Minor, Night Train, Night Train | Charlesbridge Publishing

Fiction

Amy Bloom, White Houses | Random House

The Bruce Fraser Spirit of Connecticut Award

Christopher Wigren, Connecticut Architecture, Stories of 100 Places | Wesleyan University Press

For more information concerning the awards, please visit https://ctcenterforthebook.org.