Alberta Book Publishing Awards

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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 winners of the Alberta Book Publishing awards 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 107 submissions from Alberta publishers across 15 different categories.

The winners of the 2024 Alberta Book Publishing Awards were announced at a gala reception, held at the Varscona Theatre in Edmonton, Alberta, on September 24, 2024.

2024 Winners

Download the PDF Media Release

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

Read Alberta eBook Collections

Children’s & Young Adult Book of the Year

Sponsored by Marquis Books

Cover of Flip Flop Flapjack: Wildhorse Jack and the First Stampede Breakfast by Brenda Joyce Leahy. Illustration of moustached cowboy tossing multiple pancakes into the air while a young cowgirl looks on.

 

Red Barn Books
Flip Flop Flapjack: Wildhorse Jack and the First Stampede Breakfast
by Brenda Joyce Leahy
Illustrated by Melissa Bruglemans-LaBelle


Trade Non-Fiction Book of the Year

Sponsored by Houghton Boston Printers

Book cover of An Anthology of Monsters by Cherie Dimaline. Illustration on cover of woman's back as she holds a match, lighting a wall of branches and sticks.

 

University of Alberta Press
An Anthology of Monsters
by Cherie Dimaline


Learning Book of the Year

Book cover for Last But Not Least

 

Brush Education
Last But Not Least: A Guide to Proofreading Text
by Leslie Vermeer


Mystery and Thriller Book of the Year

Cover for Secrets of Jarrow by Bill Slavin. Illustration of character holding a sword and looking fearfully towards a castle atop a mountain of snow.

 

Renegade Arts Entertainment
Secrets of Jarrow
written and illustrated by Bill Slavin


Robert Kroetsch Award for Poetry

Book cover for Muster Points

 

University of Calgary Press
Muster Points
by Lucas Crawford


Douglas Barbour Award for Speculative Fiction

Book cover for Super-Earth Mother

 

EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing
Super-Earth Mother: The AI that Engineered a Brave New World
by Guy Immega


Scholarly & Academic Book of the Year

Book cover of The Canadian Mountain Assessment: Walking Together to Enhance Understanding of Mountains in Canada, published by University of Calgary Press.

 

University of Calgary Press
The Canadian Mountain Assessment: Walking Together to Enhance Understanding of Mountains in Canada
edited by Graham McDowell, Madison Stevens, Shawn Marshall, et al.


Graphic Novel of the Year

Cover for Secrets of Jarrow by Bill Slavin. Illustration of character holding a sword and looking fearfully towards a castle atop a mountain of snow.

 

Renegade Arts Entertainment
Secrets of Jarrow
written and illustrated by Bill Slavin


Trade Fiction Book of the Year

 

Book cover for Coq

 

Freehand Books
Coq
by Ali Bryan


Regional Book of the Year

Sponsored by Alberta Counsel

Cover of Reimagining Fire edited by Eveline Kolijn

 

Durvile & UpRoute Books
Reimagining Fire: The Future of Energy
edited by Eveline Kolijn


Book Cover Design

Sponsored by Friesens

Book cover for Whistle at Night and They Will Come by Alex Soop

 

Durvile & UpRoute Books 
Whistle at Night and They Will Come: Indigenous Horror Stories Volume II
by Alex Soop
book cover design by Austin Andrews


Book Design

Book Cover for Indigiqueerness

 

Athabasca University Press
Indigiqueerness: A Conversation about Storytelling
by Joshua Whitehead, in dialogue with Angie Abdou
cover, art direction, and illustrations by Brnesh Berhe
interior book design by Natalie Olsen (Kisscut Design)


Book Illustration

Cover for Secrets of Jarrow by Bill Slavin. Illustration of character holding a sword and looking fearfully towards a castle atop a mountain of snow.

 

Renegade Arts Entertainment
Secrets of Jarrow
written and illustrated by Bill Slavin


Lois Hole Award for Editorial Excellence

Book cover for Last But Not Least

 

Brush Education
Last But Not Least: A Guide to Proofreading Text
by Leslie Vermeer
edited by Kay Rollans


Mel Hurtig Publisher of the Year

 

Laberinto Press Logo

Laberinto Press


Special Achievement in Publishing Awards

 

Image of Kate Edwards

 

Kate Edwards, CEO of Access Copyright


Thank you to our Funders and Gala Sponsors!

Edmonton Arts Council logo, City of Edmonton logo, Calgary Arts Development logo, City of Calgary logo, Government of Alberta logo, Canada Council for the Arts logo, Funded by the Government of Canada logo

 

2024 Alberta Publishing Awards Gala sponsors, Friesens logo, Marquis logo, Houghton Boston Printers logo, Blindman Brewing logo, Writers Guild of Alberta logo, Alberta Counsel logo, Audreys books logo

Past winners

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

Read Alberta eBooks and Prairie Indigenous eBook Collections

 

2024 Awards

Winners | Shortlist | Video

2023 Awards

Winners | Shortlist | Video

2022 Awards

Winners | Shortlist | Video

2021 Awards

Winners | Shortlist | Video

2020 Awards

Winners | Shortlist | Video

2019 Awards

Winners | Shortlist

2018 Awards

Winners | Shortlist

2017 Awards

Winners | Shortlist

2016 Awards

Winners | Shortlist

2015 Awards

Winners | Shortlist

2014 Awards

Winners | Shortlist

2013 Awards

Winners | Shortlist

2012 Awards

Winners | Shortlist

2011 Awards

Winners | Shortlist

2010 Awards

Winners  | Shortlist

2009 Awards

Winners | Shortlist

2008 Awards

Shortlist

2007 Awards

Winners | Shortlist

2006 Awards

Winners | Shortlist

2005 Awards

Winners | Shortlist

2004 Awards

Winners | Shortlist