The Florida Book Awards, coordinated by Florida State University Libraries, have announced the 2025 award winners, recognizing outstanding literature by Florida authors and books that celebrate the state’s culture, history and creativity.
This year’s competition received more than 160 submissions across 11 categories. A panel of jurors honored 29 books with awards and selected two additional titles for honorable mention.
“As we approach the 20th anniversary of the Florida Book Awards, we are once again honored to recognize this year’s winning authors and titles,” said Keith Simmons, executive director of the Florida Book Awards. “Florida is a place I’m extremely proud to call home, and celebrating the creativity of Floridians never stops being special. I hope that anyone who has the chance will take the time to read these remarkable books.”
Among this year’s award recipients are “Once Upon A You” by Ryan G. Van Cleave, winner of the Gwen P. Reichert Gold Medal for Young Children’s Literature; “Art: An Interactive Guide” by Mifflin Lowe, winner of the Jean E. Lowrie Gold Medal for Older Children’s Literature; and “Just Freedom: Inside Florida’s Decades‑Long Voting Rights Battle” by Daniel Rivero, winner of the Phillip and Dana Zimmerman Gold Medal for Florida Nonfiction.
“Florida is a place I’m extremely proud to call home, and celebrating the creativity of Floridians never stops being special. I hope that anyone who has the chance will take the time to read these remarkable books.”
— Keith Simmons, executive director of the Florida Book Awards
In addition, River Selby, a Tallahassee‑based writer and graduate student, received the Gerald Ensley Developing Writer Award. Established in 2019, the award recognizes an emerging writer who demonstrates exceptional promise and the potential for continued literary achievement. Selby’s first book, “Hotshot: A Life on Fire,” is a memoir chronicling their experiences as a wildland firefighter.
The Ensley Award includes a $1,000 prize and a copy of Gerald Ensley’s books “We Found Paradise: Gerald Ensley on the History and Eccentricities of His Beloved Tallahassee” and “Write the Way You Would Talk,” a guide to interviewing and writing.
“Florida’s literary influence long predates the Florida Book Awards,” said Carrie Cooper, dean of University Libraries at FSU. “From trailblazers like Zora Neale Hurston to the contemporary writers shaping our future, Florida’s stories have always been vivid, essential and deeply rooted in our state’s culture. FSU Libraries is proud to celebrate and recognize these authors.”
Award recipients will be recognized at the Abitz Family Dinner on April 23 at Cascades Park in Tallahassee. The event will kick off a year‑long lead‑up to the program’s 20th anniversary, culminating with the celebration of the 2026 award winners at the 2027 Florida Book Awards Dinner.
The Abitz Family Dinner is open to the public, and attendees may reserve seats online.
Award‑winning titles are available through the Florida Book Awards’ partner, Midtown Reader. Several winning authors will also participate in book signings, conversations and presentations during the 2026 Word of South Festival.
For the full list of 2025 Florida Book Awards winners, visit floridabookawards.org.