2022 Book Award Longlist

Allison was born and raised in Taiwan and arrived in the U.S. at twenty-two as a university student. That’s when she realized her school English wasn’t much help when asking for directions on the street or opening a bank account. By recording each of the classes she took––including physical

Valeria Aloe is a speaker, award-winning author, and founder of the Rising Together Movement, a global community with the mission of driving economic inclusion and closing the leadership and wealth gaps for Latinas and other women of color. Through in-culture talent development programs, Rising

Victoria Gemmell lives in Renfrewshire, Scotland. Her debut Young Adult mystery thriller novel Follow Me was published by Strident Publishing Ltd. in 2015, with her second (stand-alone) Young Adult mystery Promise Me independently published in October 2021. Victoria also writes contemporary flash

MADELEINE D’ARCY is a fiction writer based in Cork City, Ireland. Her linked short story collection, LIBERTY TERRACE, was published by Doire Press in October 2021. Her début short story collection, WAITING FOR THE BULLET (Doire Press, 2014), won the Edge Hill Readers’ Choice Prize 2015 (UK). In 2010

Julie Carrick Dalton’s debut novel WAITING FOR THE NIGHT SONG was named to Most Anticipated 2021 book by CNN, Newsweek, USA Today, Parade, Buzzfeed, and others, and was an Amazon Editor’s Pick for Best Books of the Month. As a journalist, Julie has published more than a thousand articles in

Joe Chacko is a doctor turned writer. He was born in India, then moved to the UK after graduating from medical school. After twenty odd years as a hospital doctor, he decided it was time to change tack. His wife convinced him to enter a writing competition at a Scottish literary festival. That pitch

Kaitlin B. Curtice is an award-winning author, poet-storyteller, and public speaker. As an enrolled citizen of the Potawatomi nation, she writes on the intersections of spirituality and identity and how that shifts throughout our lives. She also speaks on these topics to diverse audiences who are

Hello all! I'm Jae, a 30-something writer of Fantasy and Urban Fantasy occupying space somewhere on the East Coast. As a queer woman, I've found myself growing more and more disenchanted and frustrated with the Fantasy genres, so I've set out to change the narrative and write the stories I

Junia Wonders is the author of the seasonal bestseller The Roll-Away Pumpkin, which has been translated into six languages. Five of her picture books, namely, The Roll-Away Pumpkin, Zachary and the Great Potato Catastrophe, The Night the Monsters Came, Have You Ever Wondered What You Will Be?, and I

Junia Wonders is the author of the seasonal bestseller The Roll-Away Pumpkin, which has been translated into six languages. Five of her picture books, namely, The Roll-Away Pumpkin, Zachary and the Great Potato Catastrophe, The Night the Monsters Came, Have You Ever Wondered What You Will Be?, and I

Junia Wonders is the author of the seasonal bestseller The Roll-Away Pumpkin, which has been translated into six languages. Five of her picture books, namely, The Roll-Away Pumpkin, Zachary and the Great Potato Catastrophe, The Night the Monsters Came, Have You Ever Wondered What You Will Be?, and I

Michael Pronko is a Tokyo-based writer of murder, memoir and music. He’s published four novels in the Detective Hiroshi series, and three books of short writings about Tokyo life. Michael grew up in Kansas City, studied philosophy at Brown University, and then traveled for years, teaching in Beijing

Naomi V. Dunsen-White is a children's author who writes books that represent children of Color. She has a passion for closing the diversity gap that exists in the children’s literature industry and believes that ALL children deserve to have books with characters who look a lot like themselves. She

Tom Joyce will neither confirm nor deny having any association with persons, living or dead, that have worked for intelligence gathering agencies, in the United States or abroad, in any capacity. He can, however, confirm that he has spent time in Northern Afghanistan and most of the other places

Tom Joyce will neither confirm nor deny having any association with persons, living or dead, that have worked for intelligence gathering agencies, in the United States or abroad, in any capacity. He can, however, confirm that he has spent time in Northern Afghanistan and most of the other places

Tom Joyce will neither confirm nor deny having any association with persons, living or dead, that have worked for intelligence gathering agencies, in the United States or abroad, in any capacity. He can, however, confirm that he has spent time in Northern Afghanistan and most of the other places

Elise has a B.S. in Journalism from the University of Miami, and a Masters of Education from Harvard University. Elise lives in Nashville with her husband, three small humans, and one small dog. She enjoys hot baths, cold margaritas, and good books. The Last Text You Sent is her debut novel.

I grew up in an affluent white suburban family in Princeton, New Jersey, USA. During the socially turbulent time of the 1970s, I became a feminist, a lesbian, and a Quaker. A founding member of the Boston Women’s Health Book Collective, I co authored and edited many versions of Our Bodies, Ourselves

Having experienced postpartum depression herself, and when a second child was on the way, Jessica searched for a children’s book to read with her five-year old son about the changes their family could face. Unable to find a book like this, she decided to write one. Jessica lives with her family in

Julia, or affectionately JT, is passionate about using storytelling in print, on the stage, and on the screen to facilitate impact. She believes that telling stories builds connections, grows empathy, and enables a level of understanding that stems from relationships with and investment in

Susan L. Combs is President of Combs & Company, a full-service insurance brokerage firm based in New York City. Susan started the company at twenty-six years old with a drive to “Do more, better.” This internal mantra has resulted in numerous successes and firsts, like being named the youngest

Susan L. Combs is President of Combs & Company, a full-service insurance brokerage firm based in New York City. Susan started the company at twenty-six years old with a drive to “Do more, better.” This internal mantra has resulted in numerous successes and firsts, like being named the youngest

A lifelong Illinoisan, Amanda cherishes her Midwestern roots, and has deep passion for sports, film, and politics. She earned a BA in journalism from Loyola University Chicago, and currently resides in Champaign where she continues to write and blog. Amanda’s debut memoir, "The Accidental Virgin,"

Natalie Symons is an award-winning playwright and best-selling novelist. Her plays have been developed and produced at theatres across the county, including American Stage, freeFall Theatre, ACT Theatre, Theatre22, Urbanite Theatre, Aurora Theatre, Theater Schmeater, Florida Studio Theatre, Bridge

I grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, graduating from the University of New Mexico with a degree in marketing and married my husband, Louie. After a few years in the business world, I became a stay-at-home mom, raising my two sons, Tyler and Chase. As an avid learner and aspiring author, I studied

Tamra Ryan is the CEO of Women's Bean Project, a social enterprise that provides transitional employment, while operating a food manufacturing business, to women attempting to break the cycle of chronic unemployment and poverty. Tamra is a former partner and board member for Social Venture Partners

Greg Buford has lived in Japan, India, France, Cambodia, and Switzerland. He’s settled down (for the moment) in Austin, Texas, with his wife, Dana, and their children. He published his first novel, Making Ghosts Dance, in 2017 and a humorous memoir, Kept: An American Househusband in India, in 2020

Mikael Carlson is the award-winning author of the Michael Bennit Series of political dramas. He is also authoring two additional ongoing series: Tierra Campos Thrillers and Watchtower Thrillers. His newest series, America, Inc., is a retelling of the futuristic dystopian Black Swan Saga that serves

Writing has always been an important part of Angela’s life. Over the years she has contributed to each of a series of successful collections of short stories set in and around Oxford. Since retiring as a teacher, Angela has been researching her Egyptologist ancestors, the Tyssen Amhersts of

Rohit Bhargava is is on a mission to inspire more non-obvious thinking in the world. He is an innovation and marketing expert, skilled facilitator, and keynote speaker. After a successful 15 year career as a brand and marketing strategist at two of the largest agencies in the world (Ogilvy and Leo

J.S Farmer grew up in a small town in Connecticut. She studied criminology and psychology at Central Connecticut State University. After seven years as a police officer, she shifted her career into the private sector, working as a government security analyst for a defense contractor. During that

Sarah Noll Wilson, Inc. is on a mission to help leaders build and rebuild teams. Our goal is to empower leaders to understand and honor the beautiful complexity of the humans they serve. We create a safe, honest environment, preparing people to deal with real-world conflict, have more meaningful

Sarah Noll Wilson, Inc. is on a mission to help leaders build and rebuild teams. Our goal is to empower leaders to understand and honor the beautiful complexity of the humans they serve. We create a safe, honest environment, preparing people to deal with real-world conflict, have more meaningful

Missy is a award-winning author, speaker and destiny coach. As an author, she writes across various media platforms, including film, television and multiple magazines. Her greatest desire is to awaken women to the superpower they have within them as a force for good. She encourages them to

Award-winning author and Mobile Literary Festival founder Jodie Cain Smith spent her childhood exploring the shores of Mobile Bay. She is a graduate of the University of South Alabama and Northern Michigan University because earning a degree on both the southern and northern border happened by

Christine Hassing is a leadership life coach, a published author, a life story writer, and a teacher of arts – the art of how we frame and reframe our life stories and the art of hearing. Within. To each other. Through space virtually when people are not able to be together physically and when a

Walt Larimore is a best-selling author who resides in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. He has written or co-written 41 books and over 1200 articles in dozens of publications. As an author, his books have garnered a number of American awards and his international writing awards include Page Turner

Breana Greene is an African American self-published author, illustrator, and independent animator from Baltimore Maryland. She graduated from George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology in 2014, and School of Visual Arts with a BFA in Animation in 2018. Since graduating SVA, Breana has

Walt Larimore is a best-selling author who resides in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. He has written or co-written 41 books and over 1200 articles in dozens of publications. As an author, his books have garnered a number of American awards and his international writing awards include Page Turner

Helen Matthews writes page-turning psychological suspense novels and is fascinated by the darker side of human nature and how a life can change in an instant. Her novel The Girl in the Van, published by Darkstroke Books, won the suspense and thriller genre in the 2022 Pageturner Awards. Other novels

Michelle Cook writes thrillers and dystopian fiction. She lives in the UK with her husband, their two young children, and a cat called Lyra Belacqua. Her first joyful steps into creative writing were at the age of ten, when the teacher read out her short story in class. A slapstick tale of two

Meredith Wargo is an award-winning author and advocate for animals. The recipient of four Maxwell Medallions from the Dog Writers of Association of America, she has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Although a native Texan, Meredith currently lives in southern

Meredith Wargo is an award-winning author and advocate for animals. The recipient of four Maxwell Medallions from the Dog Writers of Association of America, she has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Although a native Texan, Meredith currently lives in southern

Advanced Grief Recovery Specialist, Dr Victoria Wilson-Crane supports adults grieving life losses. Educational innovator and leader, Vic used her academic writing skills and love of words as therapy as she faced significant bereavements in 2020. Her award-winning memoir and self-help book Sixteen

Keema Waterfield is the author of Inside Passage, a nomadic childhood memoir set along the wild coast of Southeast Alaska. Waterfield has written for The New York Times, WIRED, Brevity, Scary Mommy, INSIDER, and others. She lives in Missoula, Montana, where she moonlights as a stand-up comic when

'The Pangolin Killers' is a current affairs action story for 9–13-year-olds about trafficking of endangered animals in Africa. It will be published in Denmark as 'Skældyrsjægerne' by Wadskjaer Publishing on 16 June 2023. It was Longlisted for the Pager Turner Award in 2022. Liva’s life as she knows

Diane Davies, award-winning author of Life in the Neck New Friends, Life in the Neck Squirrel Trouble, Life in the Neck Advent of Christmas, and Jeannie Ann’s Grandma Has Breast Cancer, lives in the Neck right next to the animals making their home there. You’ll find her in one of the Neck’s two

Kitiera Morey is a lively perfectionist with the mouth of a drunken sailor. When she's not singing off-key for the entire world to hear or chasing after a chaos demon, Kitiera is indulging her Stardew Valley addiction. She lives in New York with her beautiful daughter, four cats and two dogs.

Author of "The Private Misadventures of Nell Nobody," and "On Wounds of Woe," Jennifer Newbold came to fiction writing from a historical perspective, with a belief that history can be immediate and relevant, and that fiction can be a means to making history accessible. But fiction can do so much

Simone Heng is a human connection specialist and former international broadcaster for Virgin Radio Dubai, HBO Asia, and CNBC, among others. She is an accredited certified speaking professional. With over 20 years of experience around the world as a communicator on-air, on stage, and one-on-one