Meet the Finalists of the 2026 Minnesota Book Awards

Meet the Finalists of the 2026 Minnesota Book Awards
Saturday, March 21 | 10:15 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
George Latimer Central Library | 90 W. Fourth Street, Saint Paul
Free and open to the public | Registration requested below (This helps us plan and allows you to get important event updates and more finalist information.) 

Come meet this year’s finalists! Minnesota Book Award finalist authors from each of the nine awards categories will participate in readings, panel discussions, and other activities about their books and their work at this special event. Events will take place in different rooms of the library throughout the day. Come for one or stay for all! It’s your choice. Attendees can also buy finalist books and enjoy library activities.  

Scroll down to view the full schedule.

Register here

 

Schedule and Featured Authors

10:15 – 11:15 a.m. | Novel & Short Story | Magazine Room, 3rd Floor 

Featuring Anika Fajardo, Carson Faust, Deborah Jiang-Stein, Thomas Maltman  

10:30 – 11:30 a.m. | General Nonfiction | Andy Boss Room, 4th Floor  

Featuring Willa Hammitt Brown, David Hage, Josephine Marcotty, Varla Ventura  

11:00 a.m. – Noon | Children’s Literature| Youth Services, Saturday Vibe, 1st Floor 

Featuring Keenan Jones, Mélina Mangal, Joyce Sidman  

11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. | General Nonfiction and Minnesota Nonfiction | Andy Boss Room, 4th Floor 

Featuring John Gaspard, Greg Gaut, Erin Walsh  

11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. | Finalist Videos | Innovation Lab, 3rd Floor  

Noon – 1:00 p.m. | Middle Grade Literature | Youth Services, 1st Floor 

Featuring Erin Soderberg Downing and Debra J. Stone

12:30 – 1:30 p.m. | Memoir & Creative Nonfiction | Magazine Room, 3rd Floor 

Featuring Jennifer Eli Bowen, Bronson Lemer, Mary Lucia, Kelly Foster Lundquist

1:00 – 2:00 p.m. | Young Adult Literature | Youth Services Teen Room, 1st Floor 

Featuring Karen Huss, Erin Makela, Mary Roach, Jason Walz 

1:30 – 2:30 p.m. | Poetry | Nicholson Commons, 2nd Floor  

Featuring Paula Cisewski, Jim Moore, Okwudili Nebeolisa  

1:45 – 2:15 p.m. | Finalist Videos | Innovation Lab, 3rd Floor  

2:00 – 3:00 p.m. | Genre Fiction | Magazine Room, 3rd Floor 

Featuring Allen Eskens, Amy Lynn Green, William Kent Krueger, Marcie Rendon  

10:15 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Button and bookmark making activity stations | Innovation Lab, 3rd Floor