Maine Literary Awards honor local authors
Rylan Hynes, photographed for the book "Maine's Still Reading," was one of the winners in this year's Maine Literary Awards. (Photo by Buddy Doyle)
More than a dozen local writers and editors — including novelists, poets and children’s authors — were honored for their work at the 2026 Maine Literary Awards.
The annual awards are organized by the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance, to recognize the work of Maine residents, including those who live here part time. This year more than 300 writers and publishers submitted their works, and were judged by a panel of more than 30 jurors.
Besides awards in a variety of categories, MWPA Distinguished Achievement Awards were given to the late Robert Farnsworth, a poet and teacher at Bates College in Lewiston, and Jan Coates, founder and longtime director of Island Readers & Writers. The literary magazines at Bangor and Yarmouth high schools were also given special recognition.
The awards were presented May 28 during a ceremony at Johnson Hall Opera House in Gardiner. The rest of the winners are:
Book Award for Crime Fiction
Sara Sligar, “Vantage Point”
Book Award for Fiction
Jud Widing, “Bud’s Dead”
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Book Award for Nonfiction
Alix Morris, “A Year with the Seals: Unlocking the Secrets of the Sea’s Most Charismatic and Controversial Creatures”
Book Award for Memoir
Michelle Lewis, “Spare”
Book Award for Poetry
Lily Brown, “Blade Work”
Book Award for Young People’s Literature
Robin Elsbeth Jenkins, “The Secret of the Catapus”
Book Award for Children’s
Joyce Sidman and Melissa Sweet (Illustrator), “Dear Acorn (Love, Oak): Letter Poems to Friends”
Book Award for Speculative Fiction
Miriam I. Rimkunas, “Survivor Concentrate”
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Book Award for Excellence in Publishing
Rylan Hynes (Editor), “It Rains Diamonds on Neptune,” The Telling Room
Book Award for Anthology
Mira Ptacin (Editor), “All Along You Were Blooming: Collected Writings by Incarcerated Women at the Maine Correctional Center and Their Allies”
John N. Cole Award for Maine Nonfiction (co-winners)
Alix Morris, “A Year with the Seals: Unlocking the Secrets of the Sea’s Most Charismatic and Controversial Creatures”
Michelle Lewis, “Spare”
Short Works Competition in Fiction
Madison Ellingsworth, “At the Auction House”
Short Works Competition in Nonfiction
Stephanie Cotsirilos, “The Gift”
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Short Works Competition in Poetry
t love smith, “from the barrens”
Youth Competition in Fiction
Nela Parker, “Have You Seen Sofia?”
Youth Competition in Nonfiction
Caroline Chong, “At Halmonie’s Table”
Youth Competition in Poetry
Albertina Dos Santos, “To Love a Country”
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Ray Routhier has written about pop culture, movies, TV, music and lifestyle trends for the Portland Press Herald since 1993. He is continually fascinated with stories that show the unique character of. More by Ray Routhier
