skip navigation links

Readers > Adult & teen lists > Prize-Winning Fiction

Prize-Winning Fiction

All titles shelved in Fiction collection, except as noted: M=mystery, SF=science fiction, W=western, J=juvenile, Y=young adult.

Some titles may not be available at all locations. Please ask library staff for help if you are unable to find the item you want.

International

Commonwealth Writers Prize

International in character and administration, this award is intended to encourage the upsurge of new Commonwealth fiction and ensure that works of merit reach a wider audience outside their country of origin.
Awarded by: The Commonwealth Foundation
Established: 1987

Best Book

Best First Book

2008 Regional Best Book Winners

For more: www.commonwealthwriters.com

Costa Book Awards
(formerly known as the Whitbread Awards)

Awarded for: the most enjoyable books of the last year by writers based in the UK and Ireland.
Awarded by: Costa Coffee
Established: 1971

Book of the Year

Novel

First Novel

For more: http://www.costabookawards.com/

International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award

This award involves libraries from all corners of the globe and is open to books written in any language.
Awarded by: The Dublin Corporation, the Municipal Government of Dublin City, and the productivity improvement company IMPAC
Established: 1996

For more: www.impacdublinaward.ie/

Kiriyama Prize

Awarded for books that promote greater understanding among people of the Pacific Rim.
Awarded by: Center for the Pacific Rim at the University of San Francisco and the Kiriyama Pacific Rim Foundation
Established: 1996

For more: http://www.kiriyamaprize.org/

Man Booker Prize

Awarded for: a full-length novel written in English and published for the first time in the United Kingdom. Eligible authors are citizens of Britain or the British Commonwealth, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, Pakistan or Bangladesh.
Awarded by: The Book Trust
Established: 1968

For more: http://www.themanbookerprize.com/

Miles Franklin Literary Award

The Miles Franklin Literary Award was established with a bequest from the author Miles Franklin. It is awarded for the novel of the year which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases.
Awarded by: Trust Company Ltd. acting as trustee for the award
Established: 1957

For more: http://www.trust.com.au/awards/miles_franklin/

Nobel Prize for Literature

Awarded to: an author for a distinguished body of work.
Awarded by: The Nobel Foundation
Established: 1895; first awarded in 1901

For more: www.nobel.se/literature/laureates/

Orange Broadband Prize

Awarded for: full length novel, written in English by a woman of any nationality, published for the first time in the United Kingdom between 1 April of the year before the prize is awarded and 31 March of the year in which the prize is awarded.
Awarded by: Writers' Committee of the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction and the Orange Broadband Award for New Writers
Established: 1995

Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction

Orange Broadband Award for New Writers

For more: http://www.orangeprize.co.uk/

Scotiabank Giller Prize

Awarded for: Canadian fiction
Awarded by: Scotiabank and Jack Rabinovitch in honour of his late wife Doris Giller, a former literary editor at the Toronto Star.
Established: 1994

For more: http://www.scotiabankgillerprize.ca/home.htm

National

BCALA Literary Award

Awarded for: works of fiction that offer outstanding depictions of the cultural, historical or sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora and embody the highest quality of writing style by African American authors. Awarded by: Black Caucus of the American Library Association

For more: http://www.bcala.org/awards/literary.htm

Ernest Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award

Founded by the late Mary Hemingway, this award honors the memory of her husband and recognizes distinguished first books of fiction.
Awarded by: PEN New England
Established: 1976

For more: http://www.pen-ne.org/awards/hemingway_winners.html

Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize

Awarded for: an outstanding book-length work of prose fiction by an American woman
Awarded by: the University English department and Susan B. Anthony Institute for Gender and Women's Studies, in conjunction with Writers and Books
Established 1975

For more: http://www.rochester.edu/College/WST/SBAI/kafka

National Book Award

Awarded for: an American book of high literary merit
Awarded by: National Book Foundation
Established: 1950

For more: http://www.nationalbook.org/nba.html

National Book Critics Circle Award

Awarded for: a book written in the English language by an American author and published for the first time in the United States
Awarded by: National Book Critics Circle
Established: 1974

For more: http://www.bookcritics.org/?go=awards

PEN/Faulkner Award

Founded by writers to honor their peers, this is now the largest juried award for fiction in the United States.
Awarded by: PEN/Faulkner Foundation
Established: 1980

For more: http://www.penfaulkner.org/awardforfiction.htm

Pulitzer Prize in Letters: Fiction

Awarded to: an American author in recognition of an outstanding accomplishment in fiction, preferably dealing with the American experience
Awarded by: Pulitzer Prize Board, Columbia University
Established: 1917

For more: www.pulitzer.org

Regional

The Endeavour Award

Awarded for: a distinguished science fiction or fantasy book written by a Pacific Northwest author or authors and published in the previous year
Awarded by: Oregon Science Fiction Conventions, Inc.

For more: http://www.osfci.org/endeavour/index.php

Oregon Book Award: Ken Kesey Award for the Novel

Awarded for: a work of literary merit written by an author who is a resident of Oregon
Awarded by: Literary Arts, Inc.
Established: 2003

For more: www.literary-arts.org/awards/

Pacific Northwest Bookseller's Association Book Award

Awarded for: a book published within the current calendar year, written or illustrated by a resident of Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho
Awarded by: the Pacific Northwest Bookseller's Association
Established 1965

For more: http://www.pnba.org/awards.htm

Washington State Book Award (formerly the Governor's Writers Award)

Awarded for: outstanding books published by Washington authors the previous year.
Awarded by: Washington Center for the Book at the Seattle Public Library
Established: 1987

Fiction Award

For more: http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=audience_current_wsba

Willa Literary Award

Awarded to outstanding literature featuring women's stories set in the West.
Awarded by: Panel of 21 librarians on behalf of Women Writing the West, a non-profit association of writers and other professionals writing and promoting the Women's West.
Established: 1999R

Contemporary Fiction

Historical Fiction

For more: http://www.womenwritingthewest.org/willaaward.html

Christian

The Christy Award

The Christy Award, named in honor of Catherine Marshall's novel, was established to recognize excellence in Christian fiction by contemporary authors.
Awarded by: The Christy Advisory Board
Established: 2000

For more: http://www.christyawards.com/

Horror

Bram Stoker Award: Best Novel

Awarded for: superior achievement of any work of horror first published in the English language
Awarded by: Horror Writers of America
Established: 1988

For more: www.horror.org/stokers.htm

Military

W. Y. Boyd Literary Award

Awarded for: excellence in military fiction
Awarded by: History Roundtable of the American Library Association
Established: 1997

For more: http://www.ala.org/ala/awardsgrants/awardsrecords/wyboydaward/wyboydaward.cfm

Mystery

Agatha Award

Awarded to: mystery novels in the traditional method exemplified by Agatha Christie
Awarded by: Malice Domestic Ltd
Established: 1988

Best Novel

Best First Novel

For more: http://www.malicedomestic.org/agathaawards.html

Edgar Allan Poe Award

Awarded for: an outstanding contribution in mystery, crime and suspense writing. Beginning in 1991, the Edgar was awarded to a book published in the previous year.
Awarded by: Mystery Writers of America
Established: 1945

For more: http://www.mysterywriters.org/?q=AwardsPrograms

Spotted Owl Award

Awarded to: a book published in the previous calendar year, written by an author whose primary residence is in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho or British Columbia.
Awarded by: Friends of Mystery
Established: 1996

For more: http://www.friendsofmystery.org/award.htm

Science Fiction

The Endeavour Award

Awarded for: a distinguished science fiction or fantasy book written by a Pacific Northwest author or authors and published in the previous year
Awarded by: Oregon Science Fiction Conventions, Inc.

For more: http://www.osfci.org/endeavour/index.php

Hugo Award

Awarded for: outstanding achievement in science fiction or fantasy
Awarded by: World Science Fiction Society
Established: 1953

For more: www.thehugoawards.org/

John W. Campbell Award

Awarded for the best science-fiction novel of the year, the John W. Campbell Award was created to honor the late editor of Astounding Science Fiction magazine, now named Analog. Campbell edited the magazine from 1937 until his death in 1971, and is considered the father of modern science fiction by many writers and scholars.
Established: 1973

For more: http://www.ala.org/ala/awardsgrants/awardsrecords/wyboydaward/wyboydaward.cfm

James Tiptree, Jr. Award

Awarded for: gender-exploring science fiction.
Awarded by: James Tiptree, Jr. Literary Award Council
Established: 1991

For more: http://www.tiptree.org/

Nebula Award

Awarded for: excellence in science fiction writing
Awarded by: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Established: 1965

For more: www.sfwa.org/awards/archive/

Philip K. Dick Award

Awarded to the best original science fiction paperback published in the United States
Awarded by: Philadelphia Science Fiction Society
Established: 1982

For more: www.philipkdickaward.org

Western

Spur Award

Awarded for: excellence in Western literature
Awarded by: Western Writers of America
Established: 1953

Best Western Long Novel (formerly called Best Western Novel):

Best Western Short Novel (formerly Best Novel of the West)

For more: www.westernwriters.org/spur_award_history.htm

Willa Literary Award

Awarded to outstanding literature featuring women's stories set in the West.
Awarded by: Panel of 21 librarians on behalf of Women Writing the West, a non-profit association of writers and other professionals writing and promoting the Women's West.
Established: 1999R

Contemporary Fiction

Historical Fiction

For more: http://www.womenwritingthewest.org/willaaward.html

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Themes

Lambda Award

Awarded to: promote and recognize excellence in gay and lesbian writing and publishing in the United States
Awarded by: The Lambda Foundation
Established: 1989

Gay Men's Fiction

Lesbian Fiction

For more: www.lambdaliterary.org/

James Tiptree, Jr. Award

Awarded for: gender-exploring science fiction.
Awarded by: James Tiptree, Jr. Literary Award Council
Established: 1991

For more: http://www.tiptree.org/

Stonewall Book Award

Barbara Gittings Literature Award

Awarded for: English language works of fiction
Awarded by: American Library Association's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Round Table
Established 1971

For more: http://www.ala.org/ala/glbtrt/stonewall/stonewallbook.htm

Women

Orange Broadband Prize

Awarded for: full length novel, written in English by a woman of any nationality, published for the first time in the United Kingdom between 1 April of the year before the prize is awarded and 31 March of the year in which the prize is awarded
Awarded by: Writers' Committee of the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction and the Orange Broadband Award for New Writers
Established: 1995

Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction

Orange Broadband Award for New Writers

For more: http://www.orangeprize.co.uk/

Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize

Awarded for: an outstanding book-length work of prose fiction by an American woman
Awarded by: the University English department and Susan B. Anthony Institute for Gender and Women's Studies, in conjunction with Writers and Books
Established 1975

For more: http://www.rochester.edu/College/WST/SBAI/kafka

Willa Literary Award

Awarded to outstanding literature featuring women's stories set in the West.
Awarded by: Panel of 21 librarians on behalf of Women Writing the West, a non-profit association of writers and other professionals writing and promoting the Women's West.
Established: 1999R

Contemporary Fiction

Historical Fiction

For more: http://www.womenwritingthewest.org/willaaward.html