Since 1931, the California Book Awards have honored the exceptional literary merit of California writers and publishers. Each year a select jury considers hundreds of books from around the state in search of the very best in literary achievement. This year, we will be saluting the winners virtually. 

The California Book Awards have often been on the vanguard, honoring previously unknown authors who go on to garner national acclaim. John Steinbeck received three gold medals—for Tortilla Flat in 1935, In Dubious Battle in 1936 and The Grapes of Wrath in 1939. Award winners in recent years include Adam Johnson, Jared Diamond, Karen Fowler, Kay Ryan, Bill Vollman, Joyce Maynard, Andrew Sean Greer, Yiyun Li, Adrienne Rich, Chalmers Johnson, Richard Rodriguez, Michael Chabon, Philip Levine, Rebecca Solnit, Galen Rowell, Jonathan Lethem, Peter Orner and Kevin Starr.

This year's winners are:

GOLD MEDALS

FICTION
Your House Will Pay, Steph Cha, Ecco

FIRST FICTION
Home Remedies, Xuan Juliana Wang, Hogarth

NONFICTION
The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee, David Treuer, Riverhead

JUVENILE
A Place to Belong, Cynthia Kadohata, Atheneum

YOUNG ADULT
Frankly in Love, David Yoon, G.P Putnam’s Sons

POETRY
Magical Negro, Morgan Parker, Tin House Books

SILVER MEDALS

FIRST FICTION
Last of Her Name, Mimi Lok, Kaya Press

NONFICTION
Know My Name, Chanel Miller, Viking

POETRY
A Jazz Funeral for Uncle Tom, Harmony Holiday, Birds, LLC

SPECIAL AWARDS

CALIFORNIANA
The Dreamt Land, Mark Arax, Knopf

CONTRIBUTION TO PUBLISHING
Jim Marshall: Show Me the Picture, Chronicle Books