The 2019 Georgia Author of the Year Awards was held Saturday, June 15th at Westside Cultural Arts Center. There were 110 nominees in 14 categories.
Over 200 authors and literary enthusiasts attended the banquet and ceremony. We would like to congratulate the GAYA winners and finalists for their outstanding literary achievements.
Please find below a list of the award recipients in order by category.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Janisse Ray
You may read writer and poet Christopher Martin’s tribute to her here
POSTHUMOUS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Anya Krugovoy Silver
BIOGRAPHY
Winner: Ruby Lal, Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan
Finalist: Mary Schmidt Campbell, An American Odyssey: The Life and Work of Romare Bearden
CHILDREN’S BOOK
Winner: Deborah Wiles, A Long Line of Cakes
Finalist: Shanda McCloskey, Doll-E 1.0
DETECTIVE/MYSTERY
Winner: Karin Slaughter, Pieces of Her
Finalist: Roger Johns, River of Secrets
ESSAY COLLECTION
Winner: André Joseph Gallant, A High Low Tide: The Revival of a Southern Oyster
Finalist: Megan Volpert, Straight into Darkness: One Tom Petty Redemption Song
FIRST NOVEL
Winner: Xhenet Aliu, Brass
Finalist: Spencer Wise, The Emperor of Shoes
HISTORY
Winner: Joseph Crespino, Atticus Finch: The Biography
Finalist: Phil Hudgins and Jessica Phillips, Travels with Foxfire: Stories of People, Passions, and Practices from Southern Appalachia
LITERARY FICTION
Winner: Roberta George, The Day’s Heat
Finalist: Tayari Jones, An American Marriage
MEMOIR
Winner: Kelly Beard, An Imperfect Rapture
Finalist: James C. Abbot, Jr. The Burdens of Aeneas
POETRY CHAPBOOK
Winner: Julia Caroline Knowlton, The Café of Unintelligible Desire
Finalist: Cynthia Robinson Young, Migration
POETRY FULL-LENGTH BOOK
Winner: Mario Chard, Land of Fire
Finalist: Travis Denton, My Stunt Double
ROMANCE
Winner: Sally Kilpatrick, Oh My Stars
Finalist: Ricki Schultz, Switch and Bait
SHORT STORY COLLECTION
Winner: Sabrina Orah Mark, Wild Milk
Finalist: Andy Plattner, Dixie Luck
SPECIALTY BOOK
Winner: Todd Richards, Soul: A Chef’s Culinary Evolution in 150 Recipes
Finalist: Jimmy Carter, The Paintings of Jimmy Carter
YOUNG ADULT
Winner: Rachael Allen, A Taxonomy of Love
Finalist: Will Walton, I Felt A Funeral, In My Brain