2019 Finalists
Book Award for Fiction
Bealport: A Novel of a Town Jeffrey Lewis
Bopper’s Progress John Manderino
Book Award for Crime Fiction
Beyond the Truth Bruce Coffin
Death and a Pot of Chowder Lea Wait (writing as Cornelia Kidd)
Book Award for Speculative Fiction
*While finalists were not announced in advance, a winner of the Speculative Fiction Award was announced live.
Book Award for Nonfiction
The Moralist Patricia O’Toole
In the Hurricane’s Eye Nathaniel Philbrick
Book Award for Memoir
Enjoying the Ride: Two Generations of Tragedy and Triumph Mitch Sturgeon
Side by Side: Tales from Behind the Canvas Kim Yesis
Book Award for Poetry
Appalachians Run Amok Adrian Blevins
State Fair Animals Claire Millikin
Book Award for Young People’s Literature
Finchosaurus Gail Donovan
The Dollar Kids Jennifer R. Jacobson
Book Award for Anthology (Editors)
Balancing Act 2: An Anthology of Poems by Fifty Maine Women Agnes Bushell (Editor)
From a Far Corner: An Anthology of Poetry from the Easternmost Reaches of Maine Gerald George (Editor)
John N. Cole Award for Maine-themed Nonfiction
Herbert L. Welch: Black Ghosts and Art in a Maine Guide’s Wilderness Graydon Hilyard and Leslie Hilyard
Hands Employed Aright: The Furniture Making of Jonathan Fisher (1768-1847) Joshua A. Klein
Excellence in Publishing
Ripple Effect Carol Bass, editor (Maine Authors Publishing)
A Senator’s Eye: Celebrating Maine, Washington, and the Joys of Scraping the Windshield Angus King (Islandport Press)
Drama Award (for film, theater, and other scripts)
*While finalists were not announced in advance, a winner of the Drama Award was announced live.
Short Works Competition, Fiction
Dave Patterson
Jodi Paloni
Short Works Competition, Nonfiction
Jude Maloney
Jennifer O’Connell
Short Works Competition, Poetry
Wendy Cannella
Judy Kaber
Youth Competition, Fiction
Wilson Haims
Grace Kessler
Youth Competition, Nonfiction
Hussein Maow
Lydia Merrill
Youth Competition, Poetry
Aniela Holtrop
Benedita Zalabantu
Distinguished Achievement Award
Barbara McDade