The California Book Awards are annual

literary awards A literary award or literary prize is an award presented in recognition of a particularly lauded Literature, literary piece or body of work. It is normally presented to an author. Organizations Most literary awards come with a corresponding award c ...

given to

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Writers and Publishers since 1931. The event is sponsored by Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California. The California Book Awards are funded by an endowment from Dr. Martha Heasley Cox, late professor of American Literature at

San Jose State University San José State University (San Jose State or SJSU) is a Public university, public research university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the List of oldest schools in California, oldest public university on the West Coast of ...

. Medals (gold and silver) and cash prizes are currently awarded in the categories of

Fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying character (arts), individuals, events, or setting (narrative), places that are imagination, imaginary or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent ...

Nonfiction Non-fiction (or nonfiction) is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to convey information only about the real world, rather than being grounded in imagination. Non-fiction typically aims to present topics objectively ...

Poetry Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...

, First Work of Fiction, Californiana (nonfiction relating to California),

Juvenile Literature Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. In addition to conventional literary genres, modern children's literature is classified by the intended age of the reade ...

(up to age 10),

Young Adult Literature Young adult literature (YA) is typically written for readers aged 12 to 18 and includes most of the themes found in adult fiction, such as family dysfunction, substance abuse, alcoholism, and sexuality. It is characterized by simpler world build ...

(age 11–16), and Notable Contribution to Publishing. More than 400 books are submitted per year. The winning books are selected by an independent jury.

History

The California Book Awards were created in 1931 by then Commonwealth Club president James A. Johnston, with the goal to foster literature on the West Coast, specifically in California. It began with two gold medals—one for a work of fiction and one for nonfiction. Through the years, several more categories have been added, bringing the total number of awards given each year to 11 throughout the categories of

, First Work of Fiction, Californiana, and Notable Contribution to Publishing. The awards have recognized more than 450 California authors.

California Book Award winners

Controversy

The California Book awards sparked controversy after awarding

John Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck ( ; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer. He won the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social percep ...

his third Gold Medal for ''

The Grapes of Wrath ''The Grapes of Wrath'' is an American realist novel written by John Steinbeck and published in 1939. The book won the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and it was cited prominently when Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize ...

'', which triggered a series of protests throughout the state. The Club was criticized for acknowledging a book that portrayed California in a poor light. It didn't take long, however, for ''The Grapes of Wrath'' to become an American classic.{{Cite web , title=About the Awards , url=https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events/special-events/california-book-awards/awards-history , access-date=2025-04-24 , website=www.commonwealthclub.org , language=en

References

External links

California Book Awards Website
American literary awards Awards established in 1931 1931 establishments in California Annual events in California Recurring events established in 1931