It feels like just yesterday that I reported on the very first Selfies Awards, won by Jane Davis’s Smash All the Windows. It turns out it was more than half a decade ago, during which time the award dedicated to finding the very best books by indie authors has expanded into three categories: fiction, children’s fiction, and general nonfiction.
ALLi News Editor, Dan Holloway
It’s always a joy to celebrate indie success. And one of the things that makes the Selfies Awards even more of a delight to report on is the fact that there is so often a significant degree of success by ALLi authors. This year, ALLi authors have produced an extraordinary achievement and won all three of the categories.
ALLi Authors Sweep the Fiction Categories
In the adult fiction category, the winner was The Echoing Shore by Jason Mann. This is a mystery after my own heart, rooted in the remote fishing communities of Cornwall and following an investigation into a sinking in the recent past. Having been hooked as a young child by Moonfleet and Rebecca, that’s an irresistible hook for me. Congratulations to other shortlisted ALLi writers in the category: Susan Grossey (Sizar), Alice McVeigh (Pride and Perjury), and Ruby Roe (House of Crimson Hearts).
In the children’s fiction section, I am so thrilled that Karen Inglis’s Beyond the Secret Lake is the winner. I have known Karen for many years, and it has been thrilling to follow the progress of the Secret Lake series. Interestingly, this is another title that deals with a mystery from the past. Congratulations to other ALLi shortlistees: Ian Hunter (Fyn Carter and the Agents of Eromios) and Kirstie Watson (The Witch’s Cat Goes Wild).
A Powerful Nonfiction Winner
In the general nonfiction category, huge congratulations to Sheila Brill for her emotionally gripping memoir of her daughter, Can I Speak to Josephine Please. The author skillfully walks the difficult line between intimacy and sensitivity while delivering a quiet call to action.
You can find the full shortlists on the site of the sponsor, BookBrunch. Please do check out all the titles.
Thoughts or further questions on this post or any self-publishing issue?
If you’re an ALLi member, head over to the SelfPubConnect forum for support from our experienced community of indie authors, advisors, and our own ALLi team. Simply create an account (if you haven’t already) to request to join the forum and get going.
Non-members looking for more information can search our extensive archive of blog posts and podcast episodes packed with tips and advice at ALLi's Self-Publishing Advice Center.
