The 15 Bytes Book Awards
Since 2013, Artists of Utah has recognized excellence in publishing of books by Utah authors or with a Utah connection with the annual 15 Bytes Book Awards.
Nominations for the awards are accepted at the beginning of each calendar year for books published in the previous calendar year. Nominated books must be published by an independent, traditional publisher; have an ISBN number; and be published in the previous calendar year. Categories include:
· Fiction (short fiction or novel) at 50,000 words +
· Poetry, minimum of 40 pages
· Creative nonfiction (including memoir, lyrical essays, and other nonfiction material) at 30,000 words +
· Art Book
From these nominations, a panel of jurors for each category select up to three finalists and a winner, who are announced in the summer. The finalists and winner are celebrated with readings during the Utah Humanities Book Festival in the fall and a small cash prize is presented to the winner.
Publishers and/or nominators should mail three copies of the nominated book to:
Artists of Utah
P.O. Box 526292
SLC, UT 84152
For additional information contact:
2022 | 15 Bytes Book Award Winners
Fiction
David Kranes’ Performance Art
Poetry
Danielle Beazer Dubrasky’s Drift Migration
Creative Nonfiction
Rob Carney’s Accidental Gardens
2021 | 15 Bytes Book Award Winners
Fiction
Robert H. Van Wagoner’s The Contortionists
Poetry
Alen Hamza’s Twice There Was a Country
Creative Nonfiction
Patrick Madden’s Disparates
2020 | 15 Bytes Book Award Winners
Fiction
Karin Anderson’s Before Us Like a Land of Dreams
read our review
Poetry
Katharine Coles Wayward
Creative Nonfiction
Zak Podmore Confluence
read our review
2019 | 15 Bytes Book Award Winners
Fiction
Bearskin by James A. McLaughlin
read our review
Poetry
The Book of Sharks by Rob Carney
read our review
Creative Nonfiction
Educated by Tara Westover
read our review
Art
In a Rugged Land by James Swensen
read our review
2018 | 15 Bytes Book Award Winners
Fiction
My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent
read our review
Poetry
The Worrier by Nancy Takacs
read our review
Creative Nonfiction
Open Midnight by Brooke Williams
read our review
Art
The Spiral Jetty Encyclo by Hikmet Sidney Loe
read our review
2017 | 15 Bytes Book Award Winners
Fiction
The House Across from the Deaf School by Michael Gills
read our review
Poetry
Imaginary Vessels (Copper Canyon Press) by Paisley Rekdal
read our review
Creative Nonfiction
Immortal for Quite Some Time Scott Abbott
read our review
Art
Branding the American West by Marian Wardle and Sarah E. Boehme
read our review
2016 | 15 Bytes Book Award Winners
Fiction
Unmoored by Jeri Parker
read our review
Poetry
Blue Patina by Nancy Takacs
read our review
Art
The Art and Life of Jimmie Jones by James Aton
read our review
2015 | 15 Bytes Book Award Winners
Fiction
Pale Harvest (Torrey House Press) by Braden Hepner
read our review
Poetry
Vivarium (Tupelo Press) by Natasha Saje
2014 | 15 Bytes Book Award Winners
Fiction
The Legend’s Daughter by David Kranes
read our review
Poetry
Topaz by Brian Komei Dempster.
read our review
Art
Final Light: The Life and Art of V. Douglas Snow, edited by Frank McEntire
read our review
2013 | 15 Bytes Book Award Winners
Fiction
Tributary by Barbara K. Richardson
read our review
Poetry
Animal Eye by Paisley Rekdal
read our review
Art
LeConte Stewart Masterworks, by Mary Muir, Donna L. Poulton, Vern G. Swanson and Robert Davis
read our review