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PORTLAND — The winners of the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance 2018 Maine Literary Awards were announced at a June 14 ceremony.
This year, 145 books were entered across the award’s categories, more than 70 manuscripts were submitted into the award’s Short Works Competition, and nearly 40 Maine students submitted work in the award’s Youth Competition.
The Maine Literary Awards is an annual competition sponsored and coordinated by the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance. Nominations were open to all Maine residents, including seasonal residents. The statewide competition is for published books, as well as drama, short works (either published or unpublished), and student writing.
The winners are:
Book Award for Fiction: “A Piece of the World,” by Christina Baker Kline
Book Award for Crime Fiction: “In Solo Time,” by Richard J. Cass
Book Award for Speculative Fiction: “American Ghost” by Paul Guernsey
Book Award for Nonfiction: “The Evangelicals,” by Frances FitzGerald
Book Award for Memoir: “Redeeming Ruth,” by Meadow Merrill
Book Award for Poetry: “Work by Bloodlight,” by Julia Bouwsma
Book Award for Young People’s Literature: “Grit,” by Gillian French
Book Award for Children’s Literature: “Pocket Full of Colors,” by Jacqueline Tourville
Book Award for Anthology (Editors): “3 Nations Anthology: Native, Canadian & New England Writers,” Valerie Lawson (Editor)
John N. Cole Award for Maine-themed Nonfiction: “One Man’s Maine,” by Jim Krosschell
Excellence in Publishing: “There Has to Be Magic,” by Donna Marie McNeil and Christina Shipps (Maine Authors Publishing)
Drama Award (for film, theater, and other scripts): Michael D. Burke
Short Works Competition, Fiction: Zach Brockhouse
Short Works Competition, Nonfiction: Leslie Moore
Short Works Competition, Poetry: Lee Sharkey
Youth Competition, Fiction: Makena Deveraux
Youth Competition, Nonfiction: Ayub Mohamud
Youth Competition, Poetry: Wilson Haims
SPECIAL AWARDS
2018 BOOK DONATION RECIPIENTS: Millinocket Memorial Library will receive a copy of every book nominated to this year’s awards.
2018 MWPA DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Monica Wood, for exceptional and steadfast contributions to the Maine literary arts.
UPDATE, July 13: The Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance withdrew “Ka,” by John Crowley as the winner for Speculative Fiction, replacing it with runner-up “American Ghost” by Paul Guernsey. While “Ka” was initially awarded the prize in this category, it was later discovered that erroneous residential information had been provided by the nominator — the author’s publisher, Simon & Schuster. While the Maine Literary Awards are open to all Maine residents — including seasonal/part-time residents — it was reveled Crowley did not meet these eligibility requirements.
For more information or questions about the awards, call 207-228-8263 or email director@mainewriters.org
