Colorado Book Awards Categories

 

Anthology and Collection

A collection of poems, stories, or essays by one or more authors, with a compiler or editor.
(Collections of stories or poetry by a single author, without an editor, should be submitted in the
Poetry or Fiction category.) In this category, either the editor must be a Coloradan or the majority
of selections must be written by Coloradans.

Children's Literature

Books for beginning or middle readers, including easy readers, chapter books, picture books and
children's poetry collections. This category is judged by teams of children and adults.

Creative Nonfiction

Dramatic, true stories using scenes, dialogue, detailed descriptions and other techniques usually
employed by poets and fiction writers. Subjects range from politics, race relations, and economics
to sports, the arts and sciences, and family relations. Creative Nonfiction heightens the whole
concept of essay writing. It allows a writer to employ the diligence of a reporter, the shifting voices
and viewpoints of a novelist, the refined wordplay of a poet and the analytical modes of the
essayist. This category includes, but is not limited to, Autobiography and Memoir.

Book Arts

Unique, handmade, limited edition publications judged primarily on craftsmanship. Eligible
creators in this category may include book artists, designers, writers, and illustrators.

General NonfictionGeneral Nonfiction

A nonfiction book that does not fit into another category.

History and Biography

A nonfiction book of history or biography.

Fiction

A novel, novella, or short story collection by a single author.

Poetry

A book-length collection of poetry by a single writer. Chapbooks of at least 30 pages are also
eligible.

Popular Fiction

A book of fiction written in a popular genre or style, including mystery, fantasy, romance, and
science fiction. If a genre receives more than 12 entries in an awards year, a Colorado Book
Award will be given for that particular genre.

Spanish

A book from any genre written in Spanish. Translation A book from any genre translated from any language to English.

Young Adult Literature

A work of fiction or poetry for young adults age 12 and up.

Pictorial

A book strongly focused on photographs either by a Colorado photographer or of a Colorado
subject. Books in this category will be judged primarily on their illustrative content.