2026 Eric Hoffer Book Award Winners
In addition to the grand prize, the Eric Hoffer Award identifies a winner, a runner-up, and honorable mentions within twenty-four all-inclusive categories. Additional honors go to academic, small, micro, and self-published presses. The category finalists and the grand prize short list are further noted. Use the links below to discover great award-winning books. See the previous Eric Hoffer Book Award winners. The current judges' commentary is published in the US Review of Books. See the previous Eric Hoffer Book Award winners.
GRAND PRIZE
2026 Winner:
* A Story to Tell, Tina Rastelli, Single to Surrender
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ACADEMIC PRESS
2026 Winner:
* American Animism, Jamey Gallagher, Cornerstone Press
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SMALL PRESS
2026 Winner:
* Bind Me Tighter Still, Lara Ehrlich, Ren Hen Press
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MICRO PRESS
2026 Winner:
* There is Room in a Horse for the Whole Boy, Barbara Saunier, Grand River Poetry Press
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SELF-PUBLISHED
2026 Winner:
* Be the Captain, James Evenson, Zingaro Publishing
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ART
2026
Winner:
* Water of the Sky, Miya Ando, The MIT Press
1st Runner-Up:
* Fragments of Light, Robert Feist
Honorable Mentions:
* 100 Objects, Stefanie Halpern, YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
* Coloring the White House, Kyle Dugdale, The White House Historical Association
* Knowy Chloe and the Netherlandish Proverbs' Plan for Life, Jeanne Farewell, Puddingdale Press
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CHAPBOOK
2026
Winner:
* Towards a Retreat, Samaa Abdurraqib, Diode Editions
1st Runner-Up:
* Year of the Sheep, Stacey Park, YesYes Books
Honorable Mentions:
* After the Floating Barn, Josh Gaines and Ben Clark, North Dakota State University Press
* Elegies of Herons, Sarah Wetzel, Black Sunflowers Poetry Press
previous category winners
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CHILDREN’S
2026
Winner:
* A Million YES's, DJ Corchin, Dan Dougherty (illustrator), The phazelFOZ Company
1st Runner-Up:
* Nellie's Island, TK Sheffield, Starry Gazey (illustrator), Making Hay Press
Honorable Mentions:
* A Maker of Dresses, Violet Lemay, Michael Sampson, Brown Books Publishing
* A Puppy's Tale, Grant Merritt, Grant Merritt Publishing
* Endangered Animals ABC, Rinat D Medalsy, Kesem Books
* Grandma's Bucket of Mercy, Robin Carole, MindStir Media
* I, Too, Am Here, Morgan Christie, Second Story Press
* Sleeping Giants, Sarah Doran, Author Sarah Doran
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MIDDLE READER
2026
Winner:
* When the Sky Turned to Dust, Catherine Matthias, Moon Glow Books
1st Runner-Up:
* Rats with Backpacks, J.N. Courtney, J. N. Courtney Publications
Honorable Mentions:
* Legends of the Twin Dragons, Brian John Skillen, Publishing Hackers
* Red and Me, Terry Lee Caruthers, Star Bright Books
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POETRY
2026
Winner:
* Find Me When You're Ready, Perry Janes, Northwestern University Press
1st Runner-Up:
* First You Must Destroy the World, Claudia Saleeby Savage, First Matter Press
Honorable Mentions:
* All is the Telling, Rosa Castellano, Diode Editions
* Between Latitudes, Michelle Latvala, Green Writers Press
* Even the Sky, Kevin Thomason, Cornerstone Press
* Inked, Annelie Janssen, Butterdragons Publishing
* It is Still Beautiful to Hear the Heart Beat, Margo Berdeshevsky, Salmon Poetry
* Jump the Gun, Jennie Malboeuf, BOA Editions
* Lanterns in the Night Market, Mary Morris, TRP: The University Press of SHSU
* Mother, Daughter, Augur, Mary Simmons, June Road Press
* Someone Else's Hunger, Isabella DeSendi, Four Way Books
* Wild/Hurt, Meg Ford, Button Poetry
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YOUNG ADULT
2026
Winner:
* The Dreamer, Linda Patricia Cleary
1st Runner-Up:
* Orphanland, Lauren Fischer, Mission Point Press
Honorable Mentions:
* Dreamteller, K. D. Shade
* Goon, Glenn Erick Miller, Peasantry Press
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COMMERCIAL FICTION
2026
Winner:
* Sashé Boudreaux, Coco McQ, Sand Dollar Press
1st Runner-Up:
* Open Bar, Dan Schorr, SparkPress
Honorable Mentions:
* Becoming Sarah, Diane Botnick, She Writes Press
* Reappearance, Edward Villaume, Paddock Road Press
* When Shadows Burn, Todd Brown, Koehler Books
previous category winners
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GENERAL FICTION
2026
Winner:
* Unfinished Acts of Wild Creation, Sarah Yahm, Dzanc Books
1st Runner-Up:
* I Inherited a Mixed Animal from Uncle Living in Woods, Richard Martin, Loyola University Maryland's Apprentice House Press
Honorable Mentions:
* Leta Pearl's Love Biscuits, Arlon Jay Staggs, Koehler
* Mancala Moon, Asa Bowers
* The Fire Service of Sachem City, Tom Trabulsi, Stillwater River Publications
* The Ghost of Brighton Hall, Jacqueline Johnson Goon , Urlink Print & Media
* Three Guesses, Chris McClain Johnson, Regal House Publishing
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HISTORICAL FICTION
2026
Winner:
* Bend, Don't Break, Julie L. Brown, JAB Press
1st Runner-Up:
* Land Shadows, R.J. Striegel, OIN Publishing
Honorable Mentions:
* Born of This Fire, Jeanne Gehret, Verbal Images Press
* Charlotte Salomon Paints Her Life, Pamela Reitman, Sibylline Press
* The Ashtrays Are Full and the Glasses Are Empty, Kirsten Mickelwait, Koehler Books
* The Pythagorean Solution, Joseph Badal, Black Range Publishing
* The Weight of Dreams, Nicole Sorrell
previous category winners
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MYSTERY/CRIME
2026
Winner:
* Elita, Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum, Northwestern University Press/TriQuarterly
1st Runner-Up:
* Better Dead Than Poor, Lisa Story
Honorable Mentions:
* Fatal Fugue, BV Lawson, Crimetime Press
* Garbage Town, Ravi Gupta, Greenleaf
* Killer Vintage, Eric D. Sanchez, Brown Books Publishing
previous category winners
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ROMANCE
2026
Winner:
* Ava, Janet R. Perroni, Aspire Publishing Hub
1st Runner-Up:
* Somewhere Along the Way, Anna Gomez, Open Road Integrated Media
Honorable Mentions:
* When I See Your Smile, Christine Anthony, BookBaby
* Winter in the High Sierra, Robert Brighton, Ashwood Press
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SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY
2026
Winner:
* Cinnamon Soul, Quinn Lawrence, Fondence City Press
1st Runner-Up:
* The Shapeless, Tiffany Clavecilla
Honorable Mentions:
* HomeAdrift, Soheil Mirchi, Whiskers & Ink Press
* The Wounded Sky, Ray Strong
* Orb, Gary Tarulli
* Virtuality, Derek Cressman, High Frequency Press
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SHORT STORY/ANTHOLOGY
2026
Winner:
* Little Fortified Stories, Barbara Black, Caitlin Press
1st Runner-Up:
* The Absurd Burden of Family, H&S Alvaurence, H&S Alvaurence Creative Works
Honorable Mentions:
* The Kindness of Terrible People and Other Stories, Stephanie Dupal, Swan Abbey Press
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SPIRITUAL FICTION
2026
Winner:
* The Tempests of Time, Lloyd Jeffries, Buckminster Publishing
1st Runner-Up:
* Soul Mission, Joshua Becker, Evolved Publishing
Honorable Mentions:
* Noah's Ark Chronicles, Rene Mugnier, Archway Publishing
* Worthless Treasures, Mary L. Hamilton, Blue Mist Books
* Soul Matters, Yolonda Tonette Sanders, Yo Productions
previous category winners
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BUSINESS
2026
Winner:
* The Cage and the Mirror, Jeremy McEntire, Cage & Mirror Publishing
1st Runner-Up:
* The Working Brain, Dr. Brynn L. Winegard, Page Two Press
Honorable Mentions:
* Not Made For You, Ke Kronthaler-Williams, River Grove Books
* Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat., Colin C. Campbell, Forbes Books
previous category winners
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CULTURE
2026
Winner:
* No Woman Left Behind, Kate Grant, She Writes Press
1st Runner-Up:
* Do More Good, Neil Ghosh, Post Hill Press
Honorable Mentions:
* A Safe Place, Luis D. Aponte, Owl & Scroll Publishers
* Ketubah Renaissance, Michael Shapiro, The Jewish Publication Society
* The Coroner's Silence, Terence Keel, Beacon Press
* The Great Serpent Mound, Jeffrey Alan Johyn, The History Press
previous category winners
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HEALTH
2026
Winner:
* A Mindful Teen, Various, Bloomsbury Academic
1st Runner-Up:
* Mastering Chronic Pain, Matthew Bennett and Sahar Swidan, TranscendMed
Honorable Mentions:
* Scoliosis: Congenital, Neuromuscular, Syndromic, and Other Nonidiopathic Types, Tenner J. Guillaume, MD, Walter H. Truong, MD, Danielle H. Harding, PA-C, Lily Collison, MA, MSc, Cheryl Tveit, RN, MSN, CNML, Gillette Children's Healthcare Press
* Sixty is a Good Start, Allison McCune Davis, Niche Pressworks
previous category winners
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HOME
2026
Winner:
* Parents of Starseeds, Moana Leanne Kirikino, BalboaPressAU
1st Runner-Up:
* Parents Have Feelings, Too, Hilary Jacobs Hendel, LCSW, and Juli Fraga, PsyD, Alcove Press
Honorable Mentions:
* Homeschooling without Losing Your Marbles, Jennie McDow, Ed.D., Archway Publishing
* Sea of Clouds, Sylvia Anne Pollard, Westbow Press
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MEMOIR
2026
Winner:
* Displaced, Jocelyn Kerr, Live Write Publishing
1st Runner-Up:
* Light Beneath Ashes, Boaz Anglade, Thaba Publishing
Honorable Mentions:
* Befriending Betsy, Betsy Pauly and Jen Braaksma, She Writes Press
* Escape from the Fat Farm, Sandy McIntosh, Marsh Hawk Press
* Fit Into Me, Molly Gaudry, Rose Metal Press
* My Mother in Havana, Rebe Huntman, Monkfish Book Publishing
* Nether Land, Kem Hinton, Tenebo Press Company
* Saving the Lost Girl, Kelly Jean Torres, Reaching Up Press
* The Edge of Land, Jonathan Ezer
* We Learned to Live in the Castle, Theresa Griffin Kennedy, Oregon Greystone Press
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REFERENCE
2026
Winner:
* INNOVATOR, Tom Pullen, Practical Inspiration Publishing
1st Runner-Up:
* Charles Whitfield Richards, J. Michael Warner, University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press
Honorable Mentions:
* COVID Wars, Ronald Gruner, Libratum Press
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SELF-HELP
2026
Winner:
* Joyosity, Jenn Whitmer, Ideapress Publishing
1st Runner-Up:
* Before I Lose My Own Mind, Beverly E. Thorn, Girl Friday Books
Honorable Mentions:
* 101 Ways to Wow! Our World, Debbie Jenae, Inspired 101
* Go Within to Change Your Life, Carl Greer, Chiron Publications
* The Mirror Effect, Dr. Sheila Gujrathi, Amplify Publishing
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SPIRITUAL
2026
Winner:
* A Taste of Joy and Liberty, Jeffrey Wattles, Origin Press
1st Runner-Up:
* The Birth of the Messiah, Steve Laureanti, WestBowPress
Honorable Mentions:
* Feed Your Hungry Soul, Victor Acquista, M.D., Vox Veritas Vita Press
* Redeeming the Post-Affair Divorce, Linda J MacDonald, M.S., Healing Counsel Press
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E-BOOK FICTION
2026
Winner:
* Dewdrops, Dan Flanigan
1st Runner-Up:
* Conversations with My Mother, Ronald-Stéphane Gilbert, Rootstock Publishing
Honorable Mentions:
* A Celebration of Murder, Mary Ann Paul, Mary Ann Paul Books
* Fixed Point, Lynn M. Kristopher, Feline Orchid Publications
* Raven's Legacy, Charlotte Stuart, Quartermaster Publishing
* Swimming with Manatees, Bill Bennett, BillBenn Books
* The Choir, Carol M. Cram, HTF Publishing
* The Sun and The Moon, Willa M Scantlebury
* The Valentine Lines, TK Sheffield, Making Hay Press
* Whatever It Takes, Alan Brenham
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E-BOOK NONFICTION
2026
Winner:
* Why I Believe In the Beauty and Truth of the Catholic Faith, John L. Fontana, The Authors Point
1st Runner-Up:
* Little Boy, I Know Your Name, Mitchell Raff, River Grove Books
Honorable Mentions:
* Dance While the Fire Burns, Deborah Ann Lucas, Trot Town Studios Press
* Hello? Who Is This? Margaret?, Dani Alpert, River Grove Books
* Now What? , Dr. Mark van Rijmenam, Dean Publishing
* Pitch, Sketch, Launch, John Krewson, Wren House Press
* Song of the Cardinal, Cynthia Waine Brandt, Starfish Publishing
* The Hole in Your Life, Bob Rich, PhD, Loving Healing Press
* The MissADVentures of a Hapless Entrepreneur, Peter J. Snow OAM, BeInspiredBooks.com
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LEGACY FICTION
2026
Winner:
* Comfrey, Wyoming: Birds of a Feather, Daphne Birkmyer, Atmosphere Press
1st Runner-Up:
* Journey into Darkness, J. Arthur Moore, Omnibook Company
Honorable Mentions:
* A Day for Misty, Sheila Cayolle, Pontchartrain Publishing
* Howl of the Banshee, Dave McKeon, AHA Publishers
* Ivory Moon, John R. Gentile, Wild Spirit Books
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LEGACY NONFICTION
2026
Winner:
* Raising Independent, Self-Confident Kids, Wendy L. Moss, Ph.D. and Donald A. Moses, M.D., APA LifeTools
1st Runner-Up:
* The Beak in the Heart, Betina Entzminger, Rivercliff Books & Media
Honorable Mentions:
* GPS for the Soul, Dana Hayne, BalboaPress
* Rising Waters, Tony Bartelme, Evening Post Books
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