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High Plains Book Awards

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High Plains Book Awards
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Awarded forEnglish literary works which examine and reflect life in the High Plains region[1]
Country
  • United States
  • Canada
Presented byBillings Public Library, Billings, Montana, United States
EligibilityLiving authors publishing a new work who reside in or write about the region[2]
Reward(s)Thirteen US$500 rewards[3]
Established2006; 19 years ago (2006)[1]
First award2007; 18 years ago (2007)[1]
Websitehighplainsbookawards.org

The High Plains Book Awards are North American literary awards for literature about the High Plains region of the United States and Canada.

Description

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The awards go to books that highlight the experience and landscape of the High Plains region of the US and Canada.[4][5] Books are eligible for nomination if the book is newly published that year and the authors are living and publishing in or about the region.[2] Billings Public Library presents and administers the awards.[6]

The awards defines the High Plains region as the states of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas, and the Canadian Provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.[4][1]

Thirteen categories have one winner each. The 2021 winners received US$500 and a commemorative plaque, for a total of US$6,500 in prize money.[3] Winners are announced at a banquet in the Yellowstone Art Museum.[7]

History

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In 2006 the Billings, Montana Billings Public Library Board of Trustees established the High Plains Book Awards. Board Chair Lloyd Mickelson led the effort to recognize works that were evocative of the High Plains landscape.[8]

The first awards were in 2007.[8] Parmly Billings Library administered and hosted the awards. The first awards ceremony was at Parmly as a kick off event to the fifth annual High Plains BookFest in October 2007. The original categories were Emeritus Award for best body of work by an author or team of authors, Best Book Award for fiction, non-fiction, or poetry published the previous year, and Best First Book Award for a work published in the previous year by a first-time author.[9][10][11] Larry Watson received the inaugural Emeritus Award for his body of work in 2007.[12]

During the sixth High Plains Book Awards in 2013, 60% of nominated works were by women, the first instance where more women's works were nominated than men's. 164 books published in 2012 were nominated in 9 categories: best fiction, nonfiction, poetry, first book, woman writer, art and photography, short stories, culinary, and young adult.[13]

The 2017 awards debuted the Native American Author category, sponsored by Montana State University Billings Library.[14]

The awards became a tax exempt organization in September 2017.[15]

Archives

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Historical materials related to the awards are available at the Montana Historical Society Library & Archive in their vertical files.[16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "About Us". High Plains Book Awards. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Nominations and Criteria". High Plains Book Awards. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  3. ^ a b "2021 High Plains Awards Finalists". Read Alberta. June 3, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  4. ^ a b "Canadians among winners of 2024 High Plains Book Awards". Quill and Quire. October 10, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  5. ^ CBC Books (October 27, 2020). "Jesse Thistle among winners of 2020 High Plains Book Awards for memoir From the Ashes". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  6. ^ Taylor, Rhonda Harris (May 2013). "Native American Detective Fiction". In Martin, Rebecca (ed.). Critical Insights: Crime & Detective Fiction. Salem Press. pp. 206–207. ISBN 9781429838221. EBSCOhost 88173499.
  7. ^ "Sisters salutes..." The Nugget Newspaper. October 6, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
  8. ^ a b "LibGuides: Children/Young Adult Book Awards: High Plains Book Award". LibGuides at Montana State University Billings. May 7, 2013. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  9. ^ "High Plains BookFest set for October". State of the Arts. Helena, Montana: Montana Arts Council. May–June 2007. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  10. ^ "High Plains Book Awards recognize regional authors and literary works". State of the Arts. Helena, Montana: Montana Arts Council. May–June 2007. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  11. ^ "BookFest gala reading features two celebrated writers". Bozeman Daily Chronicle. October 11, 2007. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  12. ^ Webb, Jaci (February 12, 2025). "Former reporter wins High Plains book award". The Missoulian. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  13. ^ "High Plains BookFest celebrates "Women Writing the West"". State of the Arts. Helena, Montana: Montana Arts Council. September–October 2013. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  14. ^ "Book award series adds focus on indigenous authors". The Billings Gazette. Billings, Montana. 27 Dec 2016. ProQuest 1853494310.
  15. ^ Suozzo, Andrea; Glassford, Alec; Ngu, Ash; Roberts, Brandon (May 9, 2013). "High Plains Book Awards". ProPublica. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  16. ^ "Vertical Files Index - Topical" (PDF). Montana Historical Society. State of Montana. p. 63. Retrieved May 10, 2025.

Further reading

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