Texas authors shine in this collection of awards and accolades garnered from awards across the literary world. We’re shouting our praise from the rooftops for the vibrant Texas literary community.

AUTHOR AWARDS and ACCOLADES

Texas Literary Hall of Fame Honorees

The TCU Library, AddRan College of Liberal Arts and TCU Press announced the 2024 Texas Literary Hall of Fame Inductees:

*Tracy Daugherty

*Molly Ivans

*Stephen Graham Jones

*Cormac McCarthy

*Jan Seale

*Cynthia Leitich Smith

*Sergio Troncoso

Writers’ League of Texas 2023 Book Award Winners

Winners

LaToya Watkins for HOLLER, CHILD: STORIES –fiction

Stephen Vladeck for THE SHADOW DOCKET: HOW THE SUPREME COURT USES STEALTH RULINGS TO AMASS POWER AND UNDERMINE THE REPUBLIC –nonfiction

Mag Gabbert for SEX DEPRESSION ANIMALS: POEMS –Poetry

Leila Sales for THE MUSEUM OF LOST AND FOUND: A NOVEL –Middle Grade/Young Adult

Anne Wynter for NELL PLANTS A TREE –Picture Book

Discovery Prize Winners

Sylvia Aguilar-Zéleny for TRASH –Fiction

Sean Enfield for HOLY AMERICAN BURNOUT! –Nonfiction

Joshua Burton for GRACE ENGINE – Poetry

Shanah Khubiar for JUST A HAT –Middle Grade/Young Adult

Wendy Hinote Lanier for THE DOG THAT GAVE MY BROTHER WORDS –Picture Book

Joel Burcat won a silver medal in the Thriller-Legal category of the Readers’ Favorite awards for REAP THE WIND.

Jennie Chen and Giselle Nevada were honored with a silver medal in the Readers’ Favorite awards in the Children-Educational division for PORTER & MIDGE: PAWS FOR SAFETY.

Michael Scott Clifton earned the honorable mention place in the Fantasy-Urban category of the Readers’ Favorite awards for his novel PRINGLE PRAWN.

ML Condike was honored with a Readers’ Favorite gold medal in the Mystery-General category for her novel THE DESK FROM HOBOKEN.

Margaret Izard’s STONE OF LOVE earned an honorable mention spot in the Romance-Fantasy/Sci-Fi category of the Readers’ Favorite awards.

THE WAYS OF WATER by Teresa H. Janssen won a 2024 Independent Publisher (IPPY) Silver Medal in West Mountain Region Fiction. 

Joe R. Lansdale’s 2013 novel THE THICKET was recently adapted for the big screen. The movie starring Levon Hawke, Peter Dinklage, Juliet Lewis, and more opened in September.

MUMENTOUS by Amy J. Schultz won the bronze medal in the Art/Photography category of the Readers’ Favorite awards.

Juan Tejeda’s MI CARNAL FRANK is the 2024 Member’s Choice Award, selected by the Tejano Genealogy Society of Austin.

FROWNS AND GOWNS by Amanda M. Thrasher collected a bronze medal in the Children-Fantasy/Sci-Fi category of the 2024 Readers’ Favorite awards.

A CITY ON MARS by Kelly Weinersmith and Zach Weinersmith won Best Related Work in the 2024 Hugo Awards.

FINALISTS

Writers’ League of Texas 2023 Book Award Finalists

Fiction

THE LAST LANGUAGE: A NOVEL Novel by Jennifer duBois

CHENNEVILLE: A NOVEL OF MURDER, LOSS, AND VENGEANCE by Paulette Jiles

YOU’RE AN ANIMAL: A NOVEL BY Jardine Libaire

MR. TEXAS: A NOVEL by Lawrence Wright

Nonfiction

LILIANA’S INVINCIBLE SUMMER: A SISTER’S SEARCH FOR JUSTICE by Cristina Rivera Garza

BLACK CHAMELION: MEMORY, WOMANHOOD, AND MYTH by Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton

RIVERMOUTH: A CHRONICLE OF LANGUAGE, FAITH, AND MIGRATION by Alejandra Oliva

CHINESE PRODICAL: A MEMOIR IN EIGHT ARGUMENTS by David Shih

Poetry

STILL FALLING: POEMS by Jennifer Grotz

ROMANTIC COMEDY by James Allen Hall

THE ROCK THAT IS NOT A RABBIT: POEMS by Corey Marks

DREAM APARTMENT by Lisa Olstein

Middle Grade/Young Adult

THE PRINCE & THE COYOTE by David Bowles

AN APPETITE FOR MIRACLES by Laekan Zea Kemp

SKYRIDERS by Polly Holyoke

ANIANA DEL MAR JUMPS IN by Jasminne Mendez

Picture Book

GLITTER EVERWHERE!: WHERE IT CAME FROM, WHERE IT’S FOUND, & WHERE IT’S GOING by Chris Barton

A CROWN FOR CORINA by Laekan Zea Kemp

BUTT OR FACE?: A HILARIOUS ANIMAL GUESSING GAME BOOK FOR KIDS by Kari Lavelle

THE WORLD’S BEST CLASS PLANT by Liz Garton Scanlon

Thomas Ray Garcia is one of three finalist for the International Latino Book Awards in the Best Collection of Short Stories-English category for THE RIVER RUNS.

Fady Joudah made the longlist for the 2024 National Book Awards for Poetry with his work […].

Texas illustrators Jerome Pumphrey and Jarrett Pumphrey are finalists for the Kirkus Prize in the Young Readers’ Literature/Picture Book category for THERE WAS A PARTY FOR LANGSTON, along with author Jason Reynolds.

Octavio Quintanilla is on the longlist for the 2024 National Book Awards for Poetry for his work THE BOOK OF WOUNDED SPARROWS.

Jan Sikes’ A BEGGAR’S BARGAIN is on the longlist for the 2024 Page Turner Book Award.

Deepa Varadarajan’s LATE BLOOMERS earned a spot on the longlist for the $5,000 Crook’s Corner Book Prize for the best debut novel set in the American South.

Vanessa Angélica Villarreal is on the longlist for the 2024 National Book Awards for Nonfiction with her book MAGICAL REALISM: ESSAYS ON MUSIC, MEMORY, FANTASY, AND BORDERS.

Dana Wayne earned a spot on the 2024 Page Turner Book Awards for TEXAS WINDS.