The Oregon Book Awards are presented annually by the Portland, Oregon, United States–based organization Literary Arts, Inc. to honor the "state’s finest accomplishments by Oregon writers who work in genres of poetry, fiction, graphic literature, drama, literary nonfiction, and literature for young readers."[1]

Oregon Book Award
Awarded forLiterary excellence
CountryUnited States
Presented byLiterary Arts and Oregon
First awarded1987
WebsiteLiterary-arts.org

Oregon Book Award was founded in 1987 by Brian Booth and Oregon Institute for Literary Arts (OILA).[2][3] In 1993, Literary Arts, Inc., a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of Oregonians through language and literature, joined with the OILA and continued to support and promote Oregon's authors with the book awards and Oregon Literary Fellowships. Award winners are selected based solely on literary merit by out-of-state judges who change each year.

In 2005, the award ceremony was moved from Portland's Scottish Rite Center to the Wonder Ballroom, in an effort to make it more lively and fun.[4] Since 2009, the awards ceremony has been held at the Gerding Theatre at the Armory, the home of Portland Center Stage.[5]

Recipients

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Book Awards

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Stafford/Hall Award for Poetry

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Year Book Author
1987 Seal Rock John Haislip
1988 Singing the Mozart Requiem Ingrid Wendt
1989 The Admiration's Lex Runciman
1990 Dreamer Primus St. John
1990 Toluca Street Maxine Scates
1991 Psyche Drives the Coast Sharon Doubiago
1992 Selected Poems Vern Rutsala
1993 A Book of Other Days Lisa M. Steinman
1994 Lauds Tom Crawford
1995 Poem Rising Out of the Earth and Standing Up in Someone James Grabill
1996 Journeyman's Wages Clemens Starck
1997 Drawing the Line Lawson Fusao Inada
1998 Cocktails with Brueghel at the Museum Café Sandra Stone
1999 Ruining the Picture Pimone Triplett
2000 Passion Judith Montgomery
2001 The Evening Light Floyd Skloot
2002 In The Margins Of The World Willa Schneberg
2003 The Play of Dark and Light Rita Ott Ramstad
2004 Men Holding Eggs Henry Hughes
2005 Leaving Laton Carter
2006 Facts About the Moon Dorianne Laux
2007 The Sky Position Tom Blood
2008 A is for Anne: Mistress Hutchinson Disturbs the Commonwealth Penelope Scambly Schott
2009/2010 All-American Poem Matthew Dickman
2011 The Book of Men and Women David Biespiel
2012 Curses And Wishes Carl Adamshick
2013 Fjords Vol. 1 Zachary Schomburg
2014 Incarnadine Mary Szybist
2015 Sorrow Arrow Emily Kendal Frey
2016 Saint Friend Carl Adamshick
2017 When We Were Birds Joe Wilkins
2018 Field Theories Samiya Bashir
2019 Small Gods Matthew Minicucci
2020 Spectra Ashley Toliver
2021 Hope of Stones Anna Elkins
2022 Instrument Dao Strom
2023 Mouth, Sugar, and Smoke Eric Tran
2024 Chorus Daniela Naomi Molnar

Award for Fiction

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Year Book Author
1987 Resurrectionists Russell Working
1988 Within Normal Limits Todd Grimson
1989 Cardinal Numbers Hob Broun
1990 The Jump-off Creek Molly Gloss
1991 (no award given)
1992 Searoad Ursula K. Le Guin
1993 Dreams Like Thunder Diane Simmons
1994 Arabian Jazz Diana Abu-Jaber
1995 Native Speaker Chang-Rae Lee
1996 What Falls Away Tracy Daugherty
1997 Fight Club Chuck Palahniuk
1998 The Ugliest House in the World Peter Ho Davies
1999 Like Never Before Ehud Havazelet
2000 Storm Riders Craig Lesley
2001 Throwing Knives Molly Best Tinsley
2002 The Necessary Grace to Fall: Stories Gina Ochsner
Ken Kesey Award for the Novel
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Year Book Author
2003 His Mother's Son Cai Emmons
2004 Axeman's Jazz Tracy Daugherty
2005 How I Paid for College: A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship, and Musical Theater Marc Acito
2006 The Best People in the World: A Novel Justin Tussing
2007 Twenty Questions Alison Clement
Ken Kesey Award for Fiction
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Year Book Author
2008 Bearing the Body Ehud Havazelet
2009/2010 Livability: Stories Jon Raymond
2011 Lean on Pete Willy Vlautin
2012 The Sisters Brothers Patrick deWitt
2013 Shards Ismet Prcic
2014 The Unreal and The Real: Collected Stories, Vols. 1 and 2 Ursula K. Le Guin
2015 The Revolution of Every Day Cari Luna
2016 The Small Backs of Children Lidia Yuknavitch
2017 A Great Length of Time Joyce Cherry Cresswell
2018 American War Omar El Akkad
2019 Red Clocks Leni Zumas
2020 No God like the Mother Kesha Ajọsẹ Fisher
2021 The Great Offshore Grounds Vanessa Veselka
2022 What Strange Paradise Omar El Akkad
2023 Seeking Fortune Elsewhere: Stories Sindya Bhanoo
2024 The Librarianist Patrick deWitt
H. L. Davis Award for Short Fiction
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Year Book Author
1998 The Ugliest House in the World Peter Ho Davies
1999 Like Never Before Ehud Havazelet
2000 Storm Riders Craig Lesley
2001 Throwing Knives Molly Best Tinsley
2002 The Necessary Grace to Fall Gina Ochsner
2003 It Takes a Worried Man Tracy Daugherty
2004 Saving Stanley Scott Nadelson
2005 Resistance Barry Lopez
2006 People I Wanted to Be Gina Ochsner
2007 The Dead Fish Museum Charles D'Ambrosio

Award for Literary Nonfiction

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Year Book Author
1987 Arctic Dreams Barry Lopez
1988 Faces of a Reservation Cynthia Stowell
1989 A Golden Journey Luther Cressman
1990 Baja Journey Robin Carey
1991 Wings for My Flight / My Country, My Right to Serve Marcy Cottrell Houle / Mary Ann Humphrey (tie)
1992 No Duty to Retreat Richard M. Brown
1993 The Trail Home John Daniel
1994 Stubborn Twig Lauren Kessler
1995 Voyage of a Summer Sun Robin Cody
1996 Volcano Garrett Hongo
1997 Looking After John Daniel
1998 Making It Home Lars Nordström
1999 The Left Hand of Eden William Ashworth
2000 The Night Gardener Marjorie Sandor
2001 When Broken Glass Floats Chanrithy Him
2002 My Wars Are Laid Away in Books Alfred Habegger
Frances Fuller Victor Award for General Nonfiction
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Year Book Author
2003 Dispatches and Dictators: Ralph Barnes for the Herald Tribune Barbara S. Mahoney
2004 In Search of Ancient Oregon Ellen Morris Bishop
2005 Plague and Fire: Battling Black Death and the 1900 Burning of Honolulu's Chinatown James C. Mohr
2006 Modern Passings: Death Rites, Politics, and Social Change in Imperial Japan Andrew Bernstein
2007 Democracy Reborn: The Fourteenth Amendment and the Fight for Equal Rights in Post-Civil War America Garrett Epps
2008 One Night in America: Robert Kennedy, Cesar Chavez, and the Dream of Dignity Steven W. Bender
2009/2010 Hiding Man: A Biography of Donald Barthelme Tracy Daugherty
2011 Savages and Scoundrels Paul VanDevelder
2012 Imperial Japan At Its Zenith: The Wartime Celebration Of The Empire's 2600th Anniversary Kenneth J. Ruoff
2013 The Wrecking Crew: The Inside Story of Rock and Roll's Best-Kept Secret Kent Hartman
2014 Duel with the Devil Paul Collins
2015 Big Little Man: In Search of My Asian Self Alex Tizon
2016 A Long High Whistle David Biespiel
2017 The Last Love Song: A Biography of Joan Didion Tracy Daugherty
2018 Fish Market Lee van der Voo
2019 Dangerous Subjects: James D. Saules and the Rise of Black Exclusion in Oregon Kenneth R. Coleman
2020 Aloha Rodeo: Three Hawaiian Cowboys, the World’s Greatest Rodeo, and a Hidden History of the American West David Wolman and Julian Smith
2021 The Fire Is upon Us: James Baldwin, William F. Buckley Jr., and the Debate over Race in America Nicholas Buccola
2022 The Wretched Atom: America’s Global Gamble with Peaceful Nuclear Technology Jacob Darwin Hamblin
2023 Free: Two Years, Six Lives, and the Long Journey Home Lauren Kessler
2024 Where We Call Home: Lands, Seas, and Skies of the Pacific Northwest Josephine Woolington
Year Book Author
2003 Providence of a Sparrow Chris Chester
2003 In The Shadow Of Memory Floyd Skloot
2004 The Stuff of Life Karen Karbo
2005 The Pine Island Paradox Kathleen Dean Moore
2006 When the River Ran Wild! Indian Traditions on the Mid-Columbia and the Warm Springs Reservation George W. Aguilar
2007 The Things Between Us Lee Montgomery
2008 Dancing with Rose: Finding Life in the Land of Alzheimer's Lauren Kessler
2009/2010 Convictions: A Prosecutor’s Battles Against Mafia Killers, Drug Kingpins, and Enron Thieves John Kroger
2011 The Far Corner John Daniel
2012 The Shape Of The Eye: Down Syndrome, Family, And The Stories We Inherit George Estreich
2013 Crazy Enough Storm Large
2014 Wedlocked Jay Ponteri
2015 The Great Floodgates of the Wonderworld Justin Hocking
2016 Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear Kate Carroll de Gutes
2017 Angels With Dirty Faces Walidah Imarisha
2018 Animals Strike Curious Poses Elena Passarello
2019 The Gospel of Trees Apricot Irving
2020 Anxious Attachments Beth Alvarado
2021 Yellow Bird: Oil, Murder, and a Woman’s Search for Justice in Indian Country Sierra Crane Murdoch
2022 Plastic: An Autobiography Allison Cobb
2023 Diary of a Misfit: A Memoir and a Mystery Casey Parks
2024 Wolfish: Wolf, Self, and the Stories We Tell About Fear Erica Berry

Angus L. Bowmer Award for Drama

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Year Book Author
1988 The Second Coming of Joan of Arc Carolyn Gage
1989 Holding Patterns Dan Duling
1990 Five Minute Wars Sharon Whitney
1992 The Disappearance and Death of Amelia Earhart E. J. Westlake
1994 A Pirate's Lullaby Jessica Litwak
1996 Picasso in the Backseat Dmae Roberts
1997 Drawing Down Clio Doug Baldwin
1998 Freud's Girls Dori Appel
1999 The Lunatic Within Dori Appel
2000 Wonderbroads Melinda Pittman
2001 Lost and Found Dori Appel
2004 Vitriol and Violets Shelly Lipkin, Louanne Moldovan, and Sherry Lamoreaux
2006 Arthur's Dreams Richard Moeschl
2008 Lost Wavelengths Steve Patterson
2011 The Lost Boy Susan Mach
2013 Antarktikos Andrea Stolowitz
2015 Ithaka Andrea Stolowitz
2017 Words That Burn Cindy Williams Gutiérrez
2019 Successful Strategies Andrea Stolowitz
2021 You Cannot Undo This Action Conor Eifler
2023 The Storyteller Sara Jean Accuardi

Award for Young Readers Literature

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Year Book Author
1990 Dragon's Milk Susan Fletcher
1991 Four Dollars and Fifty Cents Eric Kimmel
1992 The Striped Ships Eloise McGraw
1993 Blue Skin of the Sea Graham Salisbury
1994 Make Lemonade Virginia Euwer Wolff
1995 Under the Blood Red Sun Graham Salisbury
1996 Journey of the Red Wolf Roland Smith
1997 The Moorchild Eloise McGraw
1998 Shark Bait Graham Salisbury
1999 A Voice from the Border Pamela Smith Hill
2000 The Gate in the Wall Ellen Howard
2001 True Believer Virginia Euwer Wolff
Eloise Jarvis McGraw Award for Children's Literature
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Year Book Author
2003 Three Samurai Cats Eric Kimmel
2004 Luba Michelle McCann
2005 Cave Paintings to Picasso Henry Sayre
2006 Tour America Diane Siebert
2007 Not in Room 204 Shannon Riggs
2008 A Day With No Crayons Elizabeth Rusch
2009/2010 Keep On! The Story of Matthew Henson, Co-discoverer of the North Pole Deborah Hopkinson
2011 Calvin Coconut: The Zippy Fix Graham Salisbury
2012 Calvin Coconut: Hero Of Hawaii Graham Salisbury
2013 Drawing From Memory Allen Say
2014 Calvin Coconut: Extra Famous Graham Salisbury
2015 Whistle in the Dark Susan Hill Long
2016 With a Friend by Your Side Barbara Kerley
2017 Hannah and Sugar Kate Berube
2018 The Tragically True Adventures of Kit Donovan Patricia Bailey
2019 The Turning Emily Whitman
2020 Lowriders: Blast from the Past Cathy Camper
2021 A Game of Fox and Squirrels Jenn Reese
2022 Taylor Before and After Jennie Englund
2023 Friends Are Friends, Forever Dane Liu
2024 Too Early Nora Ericson
Leslie Bradshaw Award for Young Adult Literature
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Year Book Author
2002 Empress of the World Sara Ryan
2003 The Voyage of Patience Goodspeed Heather Vogel Frederick
2004 Deep Susanna Vance
2005 A Heart for Any Fate Linda Crew
2006 Eyes of the Emperor Graham Salisbury
2007 Alphabet of Dreams Susan Fletcher
2008 The Rules for Hearts Sara Ryan
2008 A Taste for Rabbit Linda Zuckerman
2009/2010 I.Q. Book One: Independence Hall Roland Smith
2011 The Last Great Getaway of the Water Balloon Boys Scott William Carter
2012 Wildwing Emily Whitman
2013 Blue Thread Ruth Tenzer Feldman
2014 The Theory of Everything Kari Luna
2015 The Body In the Woods April Henry
2016 Martin Marten Brian Doyle
2017 Courage & Defiance: Stories of Spies, Saboteurs, and Survivors in World War II Denmark West Linn
2018 Strange the Dreamer Laini Taylor
2019 The Wicked Deep Shea Ernshaw
2020 How I Became A Spy: A Mystery of WWII London Deborah Hopkinson
2021 The Sullivan Sisters Kathryn Ormsbee
2022 The Dead and the Dark Courtney Gould
2023 Dream, Annie, Dream Waka T. Brown
2024 The Very Unfortunate Wish of Melony Yoshimura Waka T. Brown
Year Book Author
2012 Footnotes in Gaza Joe Sacco
2014 Hereville: How Mirka Met a Meteorite Barry Deutsch
2016 The Zoo Box Ariel Cohn and Aron Nels Steinke
2018 Fetch: How A Bad Dog Brought Me Home Nicole J. Georges
2020 Penny Nichols Greg Means and M. K. Reed
2022 Trespassers Breena Bard
2024 The Faint of Heart Kerilynn Wilson

Readers Choice Award

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Year Book Author
2011 Lean on Pete Willy Vlautin
2012 The Chronology Of Water Lidia Yuknavitch
2013 Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail Cheryl Strayed
2014 The Orchardist Amanda Coplin
2015 The Free Willy Vlautin
2016 The Small Backs of Children: A Novel Lidia Yuknavitch
2017 A Series of Small Maneuvers Eliot Treichel
2018 Fetch: How A Bad Dog Brought Me Home Nicole J. Georges
2019 Ladder to the Light Beth Wood


Special Awards

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1988: William Everson
1989: George Venn
1990: Mary Barnard
1991: Don James
1992: Paul Pintarich
1994: Ralph Friedman
1995: Wilma Erwin

Charles Erskine Scott Wood Distinguished Writer Award

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1987: George Belknap
1988: Dorothy Johansen
1989: Vi Gale
1990: Janet Stevenson
1991: Walt Morey
1992: Terence O'Donnell
1993: Alvin M. Josephy, Jr.
1994: Earl Pomeroy
1995: Damon Knight
1996: Eloise McGraw
1998: Priscilla Knuth
1999: Ken Kesey
2003: George Hitchcock
2006: Ursula K. Le Guin
2008: Barry Lopez
2014: Vern Rutsala
2015: Ralph Salisbury
2017: Jarold Ramsey
2020: Lawson Fusao Inada
2021: Molly Gloss

Stewart H. Holbrook Literary Legacy Award

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1987: Northwest Review
1988: Calyx, A Journal of Art & Literature
1989: Katharine McCanna
1990: Sandra Williams
1991: Walt Curtis
1992: Clyde Rice
1993: Penny Avila
1994: George Venn
1995: Tom Ferte
1996: Brian Booth
1997: Ruth Gundle & Judith Barrington
1998: Dennis & Linny Stovall
1999: Peter Sears
2000: Rich Wandschneider
2001: Erik Muller
2002: Carla Perry
2003: David Hedges
2004: David Milholland
2005: Barbara LaMorticella
2006: Paulann Petersen
2007: Kim Stafford
2008: Marlene Howard
2009: Matt Love
2011: John Laursen
2013: Larry Colton
2014: Vince & Patty Wixon
2015: Tom Spanbauer
2016: Douglas Spangle
2017: The Independent Publishing Resource Center
2018: Tracey Daugherty and Marjorie Sandor
2019: José González
2020: Write Around Portland
2021: Elizabeth Lyon
2023: Gary Miranda
2024: Ellen Waterston

Walt Morey Young Readers Literary Legacy Award

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1998: Barbara J. McKillip
1999: Claudia Jones
2000: Cathy Schneider
2001: Oregon advisory boards of First Book
2002: Ready to Learn
2003: Jerry Isom
2004: Patricia R. Gallagher
2005: Carol Brown
2006: John Monteverde
2007: Mark Mizell
2008: Young Writers Association
2009: The Dove Lewis Read to the Dogs Program
2011: The Children's Book Bank
2012: Ulrich Hardt
2013: Oregon Battle of the Books
2014: Ellen Fader
2015: Jann Tankersley
2016: Curtis Kiefer
2017: The SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) Program
2018: Carmen T. Bernier-Grand
2020: Reading Results
2021: PlayWrite, Inc.
2023: Dawn Babb Prochovnic

Literary Fellowships

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C. Hamilton Bailey Fellowship in Poetry

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2018: Matthew Minicucci
2019: Pamela K. Santos
2020: Alicia Jo Rabins
2021: Amy Miller

Edna L. Homes Fellowship in Young Readers

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2018: Erica A. Briggs
2019: Amy Baskin
2020: Kelly Garrett
2021: Shana Targosz

Fellowship in Fiction

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2018: Omar El Akkad and Adair V

Fellowship in Poetry

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2018: manuel arturo abreu, Danielle Cadena Deulen, and Milo R. Muise

Fellowship in Publishing

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2018: Clackamas Literary Review and Pacifica: Poetry International
2019: Atelier 26 Books and Opossum: A Literary Marsupial
2020: Fonograf Editions and Octopus Books
2021: Forest Avenue Press and Northwest Review

Fellowship in Nonfiction

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2018: Elizabeth Enslin, Susan Shepard, and Brian Trapp
2019: Sterling Cunio and Justin Taylor
2020: Garet Lahvis

Laurell Swails and Donald Monroe Memorial Fellowship in Fiction

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2018: Takashi L. Kendrick and Mika Tanner
2019: Ana-Maurine Lara and Chris Stuck
2020: Cynthia L. Brown and Taylor Koekkoek
2021: Pedro Hoffmeister and Emily Woodworth

Leslie Bradshaw Fellowship

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2018: Alberto Yáñez (for nonfiction)
2019: Chelsea Biondolillo (for nonfiction)
2020: Rachael Carnes (for drama)
2021: Sara Jean Accuardi (for drama)

Oregon Arts Commission Fellowship

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2018: Jacob Aiello and Jake Vermaas
2019: Karen Luper and Marcus Lund
2020: Marjorie Celona and Gabriel Urza

Oregon Literary Career Fellowship

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2020: Beth Alvarado and Dao Strom
2021: Annie Sheppard and Sandy Tanaka

Oregon Poetry Community Fellowship

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2019: Jennifer Perrine
2021: Alyssa Ogi

Walt Morey Fellowship

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2018: Cindy Baldwin (for drama)
2019: Stacy Brewster (for drama)
2020: Jamie Cooper (for poetry)
2021: Scott Korb (for nonfiction)

Women Writers Fellowship

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2018: Naomi Ulsted
2019: Natalie Hirt
2020: Eliza Rotterman
2021: A. M. Rosales

Writers of Color Fellowship

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2018: Reema Zaman
2019: Christopher Rose
2020: Olufunke Grace Bankole
2021: Kesha Ajose-Fisher
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References

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  1. ^ "Oregon Book Awards and Fellowships". Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  2. ^ Pintarich, Paul (October 3, 1987). "Book awards event at arts center honors Oregon writers". The Oregonian.
  3. ^ Pintarich, Paul (September 27, 1987). "Goldschmidt, Clark proclaim writers' week". The Oregonian.
  4. ^ Baker, Jeff (November 11, 2005). "Book awards get a new cover". The Oregonian.
  5. ^ Baker, Jeff (October 27, 2009). "Oregon Book Awards honor new writers, veteran winners". The Oregonian.