Alberta Book Publishing Awards

About the Awards

As the critical middle piece of the storytelling process, Alberta book publishers enrich and sustain the cultural and social landscape of our province. Releasing a range of quality titles each year, they bring Alberta’s Story to life and share it locally, nationally and internationally.

Created to recognize and celebrate the best of the Alberta book publishing industry, the Alberta Book Publishing Awards have grown alongside the industry to capture the excellence and innovation of Alberta’s book publishers.

Each year, the Alberta Book Publishing Awards winners are selected through a peer jury process in up to 16 award categories. This much-anticipated event draws industry, government and media attention to the world-class excellence of Alberta’s publishing industry.

This year, jurors evaluated 126 submissions from Alberta publishers across 15 categories.

The winners of the 2023 Alberta Book Publishing Awards were announced at a gala reception, held at the Matrix Hotel in Edmonton on September 21, 2023.

2023 Winners

Download the PDF Media Release
Download the 2023 Awards Program

You can find copies of the winning titles through the following links:

Read Alberta eBooks and Prairie Indigenous eBook Collections

Learning Book of the Year

University of Alberta Press
Canadian Performance Documents and Debates: A Sourcebook edited by Anthony J. Vickery, Glen F. Nichols and Allana C. Lindgren

Douglas Barbour Award for Speculative Fiction

NeWest Press
Ezra’s Ghosts by Darcy Tamayose

Robert Kroetsch Award for Poetry

Frontenac House Ltd.
Transcribing Moonlight by Skylar Kay

Graphic Novel of the Year

Renegade Arts Entertainment
King Warrior by Jay Bulckaert, Erika Nyyssonen, and Halima Muhamud, illustrated by Lucas Green

Children’s & Young Adult Book of the Year – sponsored by Marquis Books

Red Barn Books
Howdy, I’m Flores LaDue by Ayesha Clough, illustrated by Hugh Rookwood with Keegan Starlight

Mystery and Thriller Book of the Year

NeWest Press
To Those Who Killed Me by J.T. Siemens

Scholarly & Academic Book of the Year

Athabasca University Press
Memory and Landscape: Indigenous Responses to a Changing North edited by Kenneth L. Pratt and Scott A. Heyes

Trade Fiction Book of the Year

NeWest Press
Ezra’s Ghosts by Darcy Tamayose

Trade Non-Fiction Book of the Year – sponsored by Houghton Boston Printers

Freehand Books
Modern Fables by Mikka Jacobsen

Regional Book of the Year – sponsored by Alberta Counsel

University of Calgary Press
A Stunning Backdrop: Alberta in the Movies, 1917-1960 by Mary Graham

Book Cover Design – sponsored by Friesens

Freehand Books
Who Has Seen the Wind by W.O. Mitchell
book cover design by Natalie Olsen (Kisscut Design)

Book Illustration

Renegade Arts Entertainment
Alberta Comics: Home edited by Alexander Finbow, Shea Proulx, and Emily Pomeroy
illustrated by various artists

Book Design

Athabasca University Press
Memory and Landscape: Indigenous Responses to a Changing North edited by Kenneth L. Pratt and Scott A. Heyes
cover design by Marvin Harder
interior design by Natalie Olsen (Kisscut Design)

Lois Hole Award for Editorial Excellence

NeWest Press
There Are Wolves Here Too by Niall Howell, edited by Claire Kelly

Mel Hurtig Publisher of the Year

Special Achievement in Publishing Awards

The Read Albert website founding team: Anna Boyar, Heather Lohnes, Karyn Wisselink

Lifetime Achievement in Publishing Award

George Melnyk, former publisher at NeWest Press

Funders & Sponsors

Thank you to our funders and the sponsors of the 2023 Alberta Book Publishing Awards Gala!

Funders

Past winners

You can find copies of the winning and nominated titles through the following links: