The Winners of the Nebraska Book Award for 2024 has been announced.

The Nebraska Book Award celebrates literature connected to the state, honouring authors and works across various categories such as fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and design. This year, the awards will be presented during the Nebraska Celebration of Books at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln City Campus Union, which will be held on October 12, 2024.

The Nebraska Book Awards are an annual celebration organized by the Nebraska Center for the Book. It aims to honour outstanding literary works with a strong connection to Nebraska through the content, the author, or the setting. The awards cover various categories, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children’s literature, focusing on various themes such as Nebraska’s history, culture, and environment.

If you’re curious about how to write about a theme, check out this article on thematic concepts.

The 2024 Nebraska Book Award Winners

Fiction:

• Winner: The War Begins in Paris by Theodore Wheeler

Nonfiction:

• Nebraska as Place: Field Guide to a Hybrid Landscape by Dana Fritz
• History: The first migrants Richard Edwards and Jacob K. Friefeld

Poetry:

• Winner: The Gathering of Bastards by Romeo Oriogun
• Honor: The Book Eaters by Carolina Hotchandani.

Children/Young Adult:

• Children’s Picture Book: Ted Kooser: More than a local miracle written by Carla Ketner, illustrated by Paula Wallace. 
• Children’s novel: The Adventures of Pearl and Monty: The Bait and the Switch by E. Adams.
• Young Adult: The unstoppable Bridget Bloom by Allison L. Bitz. 

Cover/Design/Illustration:

• Cover and design: Feisty Righty: A Cancer Survivor’s Journey by Jennifer D. James,
  Cover art by Courtney Keller
• Design Award: Horizons by Julie S. Paschold. Publisher

Special Mention:

• One Book One Nebraska: Dancing with the Octopus: A Memoir of a Crime by Debora Harding, selected for the 2024 program.

Additionally, there will be a SLAM poetry showcase, book vendors, the Nebraska Center for the Book’s Nebraska Book Awards presentation, the Mildred Bennett Award, the Jane Geske Award, and the announcement of One Book One Nebraska for 2025.

Are you looking for practical tips on refining your writing style? Read this article, which offers five key strategies to help you write more eloquently.