The Library of Virginia’s annual Literary Awards are now in their 22nd year! Since 1997 the Library of Virginia has honored Virginia authors in the categories of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Ten finalists for the Library of Virginia’s 22nd Annual Library of Virginia Literary Awards were chosen by an independent panel of judges from more than 120 nominated books.
Virginia residents can also make their voices heard, with a People’s Choice Award also being presented in each category.
The Library also partners each year with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts to present the Art in Literature Award, named in honor of Mary Lynn Kotz, for an outstanding book with art or works of art as its primary subject.
Although LVA staff does not pick the winners, every year we try to catch up on the nominees. Who would have thought there would be so many avid readers working at a library? If you are interested in reading some of the nominations with us in the future, keep an eye on our calendar for upcoming Book Groups. Below are some of our thoughts on the nominated books.
To see the entire list of nominations visit our Literary Awards webpage. Winners will be announced this Saturday, October 19th, during a banquet at the Library of Virginia. Tickets are still available for the Saturday night gala and for the Mary Lynn Kotz Award presentation at the VMFA on Friday, October 18th.